The coaching future of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has taken over the college football world. So much so that broadcasters are now spending several minutes of the game they’re calling to offer thoughts on the situation.
Thom Brennaman voiced frustration over the Kiffin drama during the third quarter of Saturday night’s Furman-Clemson broadcast on The CW Network.
Brennaman, in year two with The CW after being exiled from broadcasting for four years due to a homophobic slur caught on a hot mic during a Cincinnati Reds broadcast, sounded off about the drama that has followed Kiffin and noted that Kiffin’s “reputation would be tarnished, unfortunately, forever” if the head coach leaves No. 6 Ole Miss while the Rebels are contending for a national title.
The CW broadcast showed a graphic about the college football coaching carousel featuring Kiffin and new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin, and Brennaman had plenty to say about Kiffin alongside color commentator Will Blackmon.
Thom Brennaman has a lot to say about Lane Kiffin on the Furman-Clemson broadcast.
“A lot of people thought these days of Lane Kiffin were behind him… All the drama… [If he left as Ole Miss is going into the CFP] His reputation would be tarnished, unfortunately, forever.” pic.twitter.com/1ZavimBOvy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 22, 2025
“This whole Lane Kiffin thing is just,” Brennaman began. “A lot of people thought these days of Lane Kiffin were behind him… I mean, all the drama, going back to when he was a very young man, and everything that happened. Tennessee, where he’s there one year and picks up stakes. And goes to [USC]; he gets run out of there. He goes to Central Florida (Kiffin never coached at Central Florida; Brennaman means Florida Atlantic). He comes to Ole Miss, where he has built a team that’s on its way to the College Football Playoff.”
“And now, you’re reading stories about his family visiting LSU and visiting Gainesville, Florida,” Brennaman continued. “Both of those jobs are, of course, open. And, I mean, look, historically speaking, of course, there’s no contest; Ole Miss compared to LSU and Florida. But in the last four or five years, Ole Miss has been a better team than Florida and LSU.”
It’s of course important to note that Kiffin has been at Ole Miss since 2020, and the Florida and LSU jobs are open because those programs have disappointed under recent leadership. So, it’s worth wondering how much of that is about the programs themselves vs how much of it is about Kiffin as a head coach in comparison to Billy Napier (2022-25 with Florida) and Brian Kelly (2022-25 with LSU).
Blackmon said he would stay put at Ole Miss in Kiffin’s position, but added, “Now, he might be in a situation where he’s like, ‘Hey, let me go and prove I can do this many places.'”
“Well, he’s more than done that,” Brennaman responded. “Except, truth be told, the only place he’s ever done it is at Ole Miss. Didn’t happen at [USC]. Certainly did not happen at Tennessee. Did very well down at Central Florida (again, Brennaman means Florida Atlantic), of course, but I’m talking about on the Power Four stage. But, he has done a phenomenal job at Ole Miss.”
Brennaman then expressed doubt about Florida and LSU topping Ole Miss in NIL spending. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger recently reported that, along with a contract offer exceeding $90 million, LSU is promising Kiffin north of $25 million in annual roster cash to work with.
“And I’m not so sure Florida and LSU are outspending Ole Miss in the portal and the NIL,” Brennaman said. “Matter of fact, I don’t think they are.”
“The thing that you pray that doesn’t happen, to sort of tie a ribbon around this Kiffin thing, because if it did, his reputation would be tarnished, unfortunately, forever, no matter what he does,” Brennaman continued.
“Tarnished if he left?” Blackmon asked, looking for clarification.
“If he left as they’re going into the College Football Playoff,” Brennman explained. “There are a lot of people that would never let that go. And you know what, you can’t blame ’em. But, unfortunately, and look, he laid it out there in the SEC coaches call the other day. He said, ‘Look, this is a systemic problem.’ The way it’s laid out with commitments, intents, transfer portal, all this kind of thing.”
“But, the bottom line is, man, oh, man, if he were to win next week in the Egg Bowl, and then that’s a guarantee they’re in the College Football Playoff, and then leave?” Brennaman said. “Ooh.”
Brennaman’s comments come after Pat McAfee also argued on Saturday that Kiffin should stay at Ole Miss, while Nick Saban said that this situation “is a college football conundrum.” And earlier in the week, Joel Klatt showed support for Ole Miss reportedly giving Kiffin an ultimatum.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.