Lane Kiffin’s coaching future is still clouded by rumors, contract talks, and heavy pressure from LSU, and the tension around him has now spilled into a public feud. The Ole Miss head coach was already in the middle of a chaotic decision window when he confronted reporter Ben Garrett after the Egg Bowl.
Garrett had made a remark on his podcast that Kiffin took personally, and Kiffin approached him on the field, calling him out for the comment before walking away.
“Can’t turn a h*e into a housewife. H*es don’t act right,” Ben Garrett of The Ole Miss Spirit had said.
After registering the Egg Bowl win, Kiffin saw Garrett near the sidelines and decided to push back as he believed Garrett’s comment crossed a line.
“You wanna walk in here and call me a h*e? We’ll see how it goes,” Kiffin was heard saying in the viral video.
His reaction suggested frustration with the scrutiny and with people questioning his loyalty to Ole Miss as LSU pushed hard to land him. But the exchange didn’t end there. Days after Kiffin called him out, Garrett fired back with a subtle jab on social media.
Without naming anyone, he wrote on X:
“Don’t save him, he don’t want to be saved.”
Don’t save him, he don’t want to be saved
— Ben Garrett (@SpiritBen) November 30, 2025
The timing made it clear who the message was aimed at. It played off the idea that Ole Miss is trying to keep Kiffin, but his actions suggest he may be preparing to walk away. As expected, fans didn’t take long to connect the dots and understand that the comment was aimed at Kiffin.
Kiffin has not responded publicly to the latest jab, but the tension reflects the larger issue surrounding him. As Ole Miss continues to look for clarity, LSU is pulling all the strings to get what they want, making the whole situation messier than it should’ve been.
Lane Kiffin’s Hesitation is a Warning Sign
The uncertainty around Kiffin’s future isn’t happening in a vacuum. Ole Miss has worked aggressively to keep him in Oxford. The school has offered everything a coach might expect. By every measure, the program has tried to give him the resources, stability, and influence he would want.
Kiffin has a strong roster, a winning environment, and a clear path to postseason success. Ole Miss has positioned itself to be the place where he can keep building without disruption. Staying should be straightforward. Yet the hesitation has not gone away.
“The sentiment here in Oxford, Mississippi right now is that Kiffin’s unwillingness to commit is an indicator of his desire to go,” ESPN’s Marty Smith said. “I’m told, if he wanted to stay, he would’ve already said so. One sticking point still being considered…if he did leave, whether or not he’ll coach the Ole Miss Rebels in the College Football Playoffs.”
.@MartySmithESPN with the latest on Lane Kiffin’s situation 👀 pic.twitter.com/31LJM3KIDC
— ESPN (@espn) November 30, 2025
Inside Oxford, many see that hesitation as a message. The general belief is that if Kiffin truly wanted to remain, he would have already shut down the rumors.
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