Ole Miss proved to be one of the most dominant teams in college football this year, securing their place in the CFB playoffs as the 6th seed. Their reign was ended by the University of Miami in the semifinals. However, there is more news surrounding this team, not just focused on their postseason exit. 

Lane Kiffin had coached the Rebels since 2020, finding immense success with the team as he is credited with three top fifteen finishes and four double-digit win seasons. This season was no different as Ole Miss was on the brink of reaching the playoffs by late November. During that time, however, Kiffin seemingly “abandoned” Ole Miss to sign a monster deal with LSU. 

Lane Kiffin signed a 91 million dollar contract with the Tigers and is now one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. This has already made an impact on the scene for the 2026 season. The tigers are projected to be a strong playoff team with Kiffin as the head coach after missing out on a postseason appearance this year. 

This switch-up by Kiffin left many Ole Miss fans irritated that their coach had left a possible national championship-contending team out to dry. Pete Golding took over the Rebels as an interim head coach. Though his leadership pleased most fans, there was still a looming distrust over Kiffin’s departure. 

As of next year, fans can expect to see John David Baker as offensive coordinator and Patrick Tony as defensive coordinator under the leadership of Golding, who will be coaching the Rebels into the 2026 season. Ole Miss is projected to be a strong team, but time will tell how far they can truly go.