As the historic 2023 Ole Miss football season continues, the university has extended head coach Lane Kiffin’s contract, athletics director Keith Carter announced on Tuesday.
While details of the extended contract have not yet been released, Kiffin signed a deal in 2022 that included a base salary of nearly $9 million, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Kiffin, who is in his fourth year in Oxford, has posted a 33-15 overall record. The offensive guru has achieved milestones no other coach has reached in school history. In 2021, Ole Miss won 10 games in the regular season — a program first — and replicated the same feat just two years later.
Under Kiffin’s leadership, the Rebels have reached the postseason each year and earned bids to play in two New Year’s Six Bowls. No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2 SEC) was most recently selected to play No. 10 Penn State (10-2, 6-2 Big 10) in the upcoming Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
RELATED: Ole Miss backup quarterback Spencer Sanders ruled ineligible for Peach Bowl
Kiffin has also done a good job of protecting home turf. The Rebels are 21-2 over their last 23 games in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with wins over Kentucky, LSU, Arkansas, and Texas A&M.
“Our football program is experiencing unprecedented success under Coach Kiffin, and we could not be more excited about what the future holds under his leadership,” Carter said. “In just four years, he has established our team as a sustained winner that is on a trajectory to championship status. With our continued investment in the program and the tremendous support of the Grove Collective, the Ole Miss family is committed to providing Coach Kiffin the resources needed to compete at an elite level.”
Highlighted by returning starters in quarterback Jaxson Dart and All-American running back Quinshon Judkins as well as transfer wide receiver Tre Harris, the Rebels ranked No. 15 nationally in total offense, averaging 455.4 yards per game. The team ranked fourth in the SEC and 19th nationally in scoring at 34.8 points per game.
With the coaching addition of Pete Golding, Ole Miss saw a turnaround on the defensive side of the ball. The Rebels ranked in the top five in the SEC and came in at No. 16 nationally with 2.8 sacks per game. Golding’s group, led by Trey Washington and John Saunders, Jr., was No. 1 in the conference and No. 22 nationally with 12 interceptions.
“We’re doing things here that have never been done before, and with the commitment that our leadership and supporters are making, we have the opportunity to build on the foundation that has been established over the last four years,” Kiffin said. “I’m grateful to Chancellor Boyce and Keith for their support, and we look forward to continuing on our path to becoming a championship program.”
Ole Miss currently holds the No. 1 transfer portal class ranking and has proved to be a worthwhile stop for athletes looking for a new home. The Rebels, under Kiffin, have had multiple transfer players including Malik Heath, Mark Robinson, and Deane Leonard, play meaningful roles on NFL rosters.
Kiffin also plans to carry the momentum seen on the field and in the portal into the upcoming high school recruiting class, which will begin coming to fruition starting Wednesday when the early signing period kicks off.
