STARKVILLE, Miss. — Lane Kiffin said he’ll decide Saturday whether he will return as Ole Miss‘ coach in 2026 or take another job, presumably at LSU, which is trying to poach him from its SEC rival with a lucrative contract offer that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.

Kiffin, while speaking to reporters after the No. 7 Rebels’ 38-19 victory at Mississippi State in Friday’s Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium, would only say that he’ll have to make a decision one way or the other, after Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce said they needed an answer by Saturday.

“I feel like I’ve got to,” Kiffin said.

When Kiffin was asked if he had made up his mind about where he’ll be coaching next season, he said, “Yeah, I haven’t. Maybe that surprises you. But, you know, I’ve got to do some praying and figure this thing out.”

Kiffin said he planned to attend his son’s high school playoff game in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Friday night. Knox Kiffin is Oxford High’s starting quarterback.

“Tonight, I’m going to go be a dad and watch a more important game to me,” Kiffin said.

Kiffin wasn’t sure what time he would make a decision Saturday.

“There’s a lot [that goes] into it,” Kiffin said. “It’s a hard decision. You guys have them all the time. You’ve got to make decisions about jobs you take and where you move, and we get paid a lot so I understand we’re under a lot of spotlight and scrutiny.”

Kiffin said he regretted not being able to speak to his father, Monte Kiffin, while trying to make one of the most important decisions of his career. The longtime NFL defensive coordinator died in July 2024. He was 84.

Kiffin, 50, has sought the advice of former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USC, the past few weeks.

ESPN reported earlier Friday that Florida, which was also courting Kiffin, is now focused on other candidates in its search because the Gators believe he’s more interested in other opportunities.

Carter and Boyce met with Kiffin a week ago in Oxford, Mississippi, and the sides came to an understanding that Kiffin would make up his mind the day after the Egg Bowl.

If the Egg Bowl was Kiffin’s last game as Ole Miss’ coach, it was a fitting end to one of the most successful tenures in school history.

As speculation about Kiffin’s future continued to swirl over the past two weeks, the Rebels rolled past their rivals for their fifth win in the past six meetings in the heated series. The Rebels had 545 yards of offense, as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 359 yards with four touchdowns.

The Rebels (11-1, 7-1 SEC) all but secured a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. They’ll have to wait another day to find out whether they’ll play in next week’s SEC championship game in Atlanta.

No. 3 Texas A&M would have to fall at No. 16 Texas on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and No. 10 Alabama would have to lose at Auburn in Saturday’s Iron Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET/ABC) for the Rebels to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game.

And, of course, Ole Miss fans will be waiting Saturday to find out which coaches will be on the sideline for the CFP, which might begin with a first-round game at home on Dec. 19 or 20.

If Kiffin decides to leave for LSU, former New York Giants coach Joe Judge would likely serve as the Rebels’ interim coach in the CFP, sources told ESPN.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Florida has shifted focus from Lane Kiffin in the school’s coaching search, as the school has sensed through irregular communication that he’s interested in other options, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Florida, which is searching for former coach Billy Napier’s successor, has interviewed roughly a dozen candidates and is optimistic about the process.

Louisville‘s Jeff Brohm, Tulane‘s Jon Sumrall and Washington‘s Jeff Fisch are believed to be among the candidates the Gators are still considering.

Florida targeted Kiffin early in the search and offered him a deal to put him among the highest paid coaches in college football, which included significant incentives.

Ole Miss officials told ESPN ahead of Saturday’s Egg Bowl against Mississippi State in Starkville that Kiffin is expected to provide them with a decision about his future on Friday night or Saturday. He’s also considering a lucrative contract offer from SEC rival LSU.

LSU also wants an answer from Kiffin, as the coaching carousel has intensified the Tigers’ search, as well as a potential one at Ole Miss if Kiffin leaves.

Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Vanderbilt‘s Clark Lea, two of the top candidates believed to be under consideration at either Florida or LSU, signed six-year contract extensions with their respective schools in the past 24 hours.

If the No. 7 Rebels defeat the Bulldogs on Saturday, they’ll finish 11-1 and are expected to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. They would possibly host a first-round game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, on Dec. 19 or 20.

If Kiffin decides to leave for LSU, the Rebels have an interim plan in place. Sources previously told ESPN that former New York Giants interim coach Joe Judge would likely serve as interim head coach.

Sources told ESPN that all options are still on the table if Kiffin decides to replace Brian Kelly as LSU’s coach-even potentially coaching the Rebels in the CFP. But sources said Kiffin sticking around after agreeing to coach at an SEC rival wasn’t an ideal scenario.

Kiffin, 50, has guided the Rebels to a 54-19 record in his six seasons — only Alabama (66-12) and Georgia (70-8) have more wins in the SEC since the start of the 2020 season. In fact, the Rebels have the eighth-most wins among power-conference teams during that stretch.

Oregon State has named Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as the school’s next head coach, the school announced Friday.

The deal is for five years, per ESPN sources.

Shephard was also Alabama’s assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.

“I’m honored to lead the Oregon State University football program and to join a community that cares so deeply about its student-athletes,” Shephard said in a statement. “We will build a culture rooted in toughness, integrity, and relentless effort, and I’m excited to get to work with our players, staff, and supporters to write the next great chapter of Beaver football.”

Shephard brings significant experience in both the Pacific Northwest and in the Pac-12, as he has worked at both Washington State (2016) and was on Kalen DeBoer’s Washington staff (2022-23) that went to the national title game after the 2023 season.

Shephard replaces Trent Bray, who was fired with a 5-14 record in his second season this October. Oregon State is 2-9 this season, and the athletic department is dealing with the seismic financial shift that came with the traditional Pac-12 fracturing apart.

Alabama has one of the country’s top wide receiving duos in Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams. That group for Shephard comes in the wake of Shephard coaching the best trio of wide receivers in college football in 2023 at Washington: Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan.

At Purdue, Shephard coached star receivers Rondale Moore, a first-team All-American, and David Bell, who earned first-team All Big Ten honors. At Purdue, he worked as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.

At Washington State in 2016, Shephard coached future NFL receiver River Cracraft. Throughout the years, Shephard has developed a reputation as an elite connector, with an ability to identify and develop talent.

Shephard faces a tough challenge amid the financial uncertainty and roster churn that has come with Oregon State’s new reality outside of a major conference.