Amid Family Trips And Job Speculation, Lane Kiffin Refuses To Clarify Ole Miss Coaching Future, Again

The questions came to Lane Kiffin regarding him potentially accepting another job while being the head coach at Ole Miss, and he could not get off the SEC teleconference quick enough. 

After a few weeks of dodging questions, with his family making trips to Baton Rouge and Gainesville over the past few days, there was no way to run from what was coming on Wednesday. 

As we've reported, Ole Miss is looking for clarity regarding Kiffin's status heading into the college football playoff. Could this mean that the Ole Miss coach would not participate in the Rebels' playoff run, or coach against Mississippi State next week if he were to accept another job? 

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On Wednesday, Kiffin was even asked about coaching in the Egg Bowl. 

"You know something I don't know?" Kiffin responded. "Do I expect to coach next week? Why would I not expect to coach next week? I mean, I expected to coach against Florida, too. So I don't even understand the question 'How would I expect to coach next week?" why would I be at work?

"I mean, we're game planning. We're just at practice. I don't even understand how that would happen."

All of this comes on the heels of ongoing conversations around whether Kiffin would leave Oxford for another job.

What About Family Trips To Gainesville And Baton Rouge?

The situation only intensified, as Kiffin was asked what his family learned on their trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge this week. You could tell the Ole Miss head coach was starting to get a bit agitated. 

"I'm not getting in on any speculation or stories that have to do with other jobs," Kiffin responded. 

It's not speculation, these are facts regarding the ordeal. And, let's be honest, that information doesn't get out if Lane Kiffin doesn't want it to. 

This is not going away any time soon, no matter how many times Lane Kiffin wants to avoid the questions. I understand he wants to coach his team through the playoff, which is reasonable given how much time he's put into building this football program. 

But, there's going to be a reckoning if Kiffin decides to accept another position.

How Much Longer Will This Continue With Kiffin And Ole Miss?

The answer to that question is pretty complicated. Who knows? 

We have now reached the point where doing PR hits with Pat McAfee is a way to try and calm the waters. That was uncomfortable to watch, given it felt forced, as if Kiffin did not really want to be in the situation. 

When the Rebels coach was straight up asked whether Ole Miss had asked for an answer, or some type of clarity, regarding his future as the head coach, he once again sidestepped the question. 

"I'm gonna stay on what I've done for six years and not talk about those situations," Kiffin noted, again. 

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OK, then this is getting pretty easy to decipher. On Tuesday, Kiffin said there was no ‘ultimatum’ given by athletics director Keith Carter pertaining to his future. On Wednesday, the question was essentially changed, which gave Kiffin no way of wiggling around it. 

As we've previously reported, the school wants an answer, and he certainly did not give out the same type of rebuttal that we heard on ESPN the previous day. That's because there's a difference between the two, whether it's an ultimatum or clarity. 

Once again, we aren't talking about the Ole Miss football team, and the fantastic run they've been on this season leading up to the Egg Bowl next week. We're talking about the ongoing storyline regarding Kiffin's future in Oxford. 

For that, Kiffin really has nobody to blame but himself. 

It's fitting that the SEC teleconference ended with Kiffin finding out that there would be no call next week. 

"Ohhh," Kiffin replied. 

Yea, I had the same reaction to some of these answers on Wednesday.