Oct 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Washington State Cougars at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The coaching carousel is in full swing for college football, with several programs firing their head coaches and more expected to do so shortly. With jobs opening across the country, sitting head coaches are being connected to the openings, and bidding wars will likely follow.

The Indiana Hoosiers made sure they did not lose head coach Curt Cignetti with a massive eight-year contract extension on Thursday, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country. The Ole Miss Rebels are trying to do the same with Lane Kiffin, who has been connected to several potential jobs in the SEC.

Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter spoke with Chuck Rounsaville of the Ole Miss Spirit and revealed that he is being "proactive" in signing Kiffin to a new contract and ensuring he stays in Oxford on Friday.

Kiffin is already one of the highest-paid coaches in the country, making $9 million this year, according to the USA TODAY Coaching Salary Database. That is the 10th most in the country and will drop to 11 when Cignetti's extension kicks in, but it is only 5th in the SEC.

According to the Ole Miss Spirit, Kiffin's agent, Jimmy Sexton, is working to make him the highest-paid coach in the country. That title currently belongs to Georgia's Kirby Smart, who is making $13.3 million.

Kiffin has had an extremely successful tenure at Ole Miss, going 50-18 and leading them to five straight bowls, including two appearances in New Year's Six bowls. They have yet to make the College Football Playoff, but his 2025 team could be capable of changing that.

They are a perfect 6-0 to start the season and look like the best team he has built yet. They will have a chance to pick up a statement win on Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, a place they have not won since 1996.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Ole Miss working to sign Lane Kiffin to new contract

Reporting by JD McCarthy, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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