With the Rebels making their first bowl appearance in five seasons, Ole Miss has agreed on a new contract for head football coach Lane Kiffin, as announced Saturday by Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter.
Kiffin’s first season in Oxford produced offensive fireworks while Ole Miss earned four SEC wins and a berth in the Outback Bowl.
“This is an investment in the future of Ole Miss Football,” Carter said. “We hired Coach Kiffin with the hope of revitalizing our football program, and in just one short year, he has done just that. His innovative offensive approach has shattered SEC records, and with a top-20 recruiting class coming in, the future is bright under Coach Kiffin’s leadership. We are committed to him and providing the resources necessary to elevate this program to greater heights.”
“I appreciate Keith’s leadership and his commitment to building a winning football program,” Kiffin said. “While I’m proud of what our team accomplished this season, we have higher aspirations for Ole Miss Football. This is just the start, and I look forward to continuing to build a championship program.”
Under Kiffin’s leadership, the Rebel offense immediately rewrote the record book, shattering the SEC record for total offense in conference games (562.4 ypg). The Rebels rank top-20 in the FBS in 10 separate categories, including total offense, scoring offense (40.7), rushing offense (217.7), passing offense (344.8), passing yards per completion (14.99), team passing efficiency (183.5), completion percentage (.714), first downs (249), third down conversions (.504) and kick return defense (17.1).
Kiffin, who won two Conference USA titles in three seasons at Florida Atlantic, has more than 10 years of head coaching experience, including nine years at the NCAA level where he has posted an all-time record of 65-39.
In his head coaching stops at Ole Miss, FAU, USC, and Tennessee, Kiffin has shown a propensity in helping turn programs around. In his first season at all four locations, Kiffin’s team improved in win differential (+2.5), scoring (+11.2), passing (+63.6 ypg) and rushing (+30.1 ypg).
