Kiffin responds to being potential candidate

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Lane Kiffin responds to being potential candidate for Auburn job

Published: Nov. 02, 2022, 12:49 p.m.

3-4 minutes

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1. Auburn Football

Lane Kiffin responds to being potential candidate for Auburn’s head coaching vacancy

Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin speaks during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days, Monday, July 18, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)AP

Lane Kiffin has a strong online presence, so the Ole Miss coach has seen his name circulate online over the last two days after Auburn parted ways with head coach Bryan Harsin.

Kiffin’s name has been associated with the opening, and he’s widely viewed as one of top candidates — if not the top candidate — for the position. AL.com previously reported that Kiffin was interested in the job the last time it came open after the 2020 season. During his appearance on Wednesday’s weekly SEC coaches teleconference, Kiffin was asked about his name being thrown around in relation to Auburn and whether he’d have interest in the job if the Tigers reached out.

Read more Auburn football: Top coaching candidates to replace Bryan Harsin at Auburn

“Yeah, we don’t really comment on those things, and they happen every year a lot of times, and all they are is a product of players performing well and assistant coaches,” Kiffin said. “We’re extremely happy here, got something really special going, have great support here from the administration and chancellor. You know, we’re just trying to get better and get ready to play the best program in the last 10 years of college football coming in here.”

Kiffin’s Ole Miss team is ranked 11th in the first College Football Playoff rankings that came out Tuesday night. The Rebels are 8-1 on the season, with a 4-1 mark in SEC play as they hit the bye week, with a showdown against sixth-ranked Alabama looming next week.

Kiffin is in his third season at Ole Miss, where he is 23-9 overall. Over the last two seasons, his teams are 18-4, including a 10-win season last year. Kiffin is a well-respected offensive mind who has turned Ole Miss into a contender, and after taking advantage of the transfer portal last offseason, he has proven he can quicky retool a roster in the current landscape of college football.

He’s currently making $7.25 million at Ole Miss, so any interest from Auburn would surely require a considerable offer to sway him to leave what he’s building in Oxford, Miss.

As for how he handles any potential distractions that come with his name popping up for other coaching vacancies, Kiffin said it’s not something he addresses with his team. The focus, he said, remains on the task at hand.

“We have a pro mindset here,” Kiffin said. “Players have jobs to do, and coaches, and that’s how we run our program, so I don’t do anything about it because it’s got nothing to do with anything. We got to prepare well every day and be ready to play in the toughest conference, toughest division. It’s really like the NFL. Every week’s a grind. Every game.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.