Cam Newton tells Lane Kiffin to stay at Ole Miss and build his own legacy

Cam Newton wants Lane Kiffin to stay at Ole Miss rather than jump to LSU or Florida.

Newton made his pitch Monday morning on First Take, a day after LSU fired Brian Kelly. Kiffin’s the top name linked to both the Tigers and Gators openings. Still, Newton thinks staying in Oxford makes more sense than leaving for programs with national championship-winning predecessors like Nick Saban, Les Miles, Ed Orgeron, or Urban Meyer.

“I think the hottest person right now is Lane Kiffin, but I would be questionable to take that job if I’m Lane Kiffin, because you will be chasing somebody else’s greatness at any of the schools that are vacant,” Newton said, via On3’s OM Spirit. “If you go to LSU, you have the likes of Ed Orgeron and, you know, Nick Saban and those guys and Les Miles. If you stay at Ole Miss, if I’m Lane Kiffin, I say, ‘Give me what I’m owed, and I can build something great that has never been here before.'”

Newton praised Kiffin’s bravado and called him a “polarizing person,” pointing to the Ole Miss coach benching a player last weekend as the kind of move he loves to see. He thinks Kiffin’s in the right spot to create his own narrative without the pressure of living up to championship expectations set by someone else.

Stephen A. Smith doesn’t see it that way. He acknowledged Ole Miss has become “big-time” under Kiffin but pointed to LSU’s resources, Death Valley, and ability to sustain championship-level success as reasons Kiffin should leave.

Kiffin’s 51-19 at Ole Miss in his sixth season. He won 11 games in 2021 and has the Rebels at 7-1 this year, positioned for their first College Football Playoff appearance. That’s impressive work in Oxford.

But LSU won a national championship in 2019. Florida won two in the last two decades under Urban Meyer. Ole Miss has never won one. LSU’s also coming off back-to-back top-five recruiting classes, while Ole Miss hasn’t finished higher than No. 15 in the 247Sports composite rankings under Kiffin.

Newton’s pitch sounds good if you ignore the reality of what it takes to win championships in the SEC. He’s asking Kiffin to turn down programs with better facilities, bigger recruiting budgets, and a proven track record of competing for national titles. The “build your own legacy” argument w SEC.orks if Ole Miss and LSU are on the same playing field. They’re not.

Smith framed it as a choice between a sprint and a marathon. Ole Miss can be good under Kiffin — maybe even great some years. But LSU offers a chance to be a permanent fixture in the National Championship conversation. That’s what Smith meant when he said Kiffin could elevate himself to the level of a Kirby Smart or Dabo Swinney at a place like Baton Rouge.

Kiffin will make his own decision. He addressed the coaching rumors with his team before Saturday’s win over Oklahoma, explaining that the interest in him comes from their success. His daughter, Landry, famously talked him out of taking the Auburn job in 2022, and Ole Miss gave him a contract extension through 2031 worth $9 million per year after the Oklahoma win.

But if he does leave for LSU or Florida, it won’t be because he’s scared to build something at Ole Miss or because he’s chasing someone else’s shadow. It’ll be because he recognizes the difference between what Newton’s describing and what it actually takes to win a national championship in today’s