CFB broadcaster says Lane Kiffin’s reputation would be ‘tarnished forever’ if he leaves Ole Miss team in CFP
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The ongoing saga surrounding Lane Kiffin and the other high-profile job openings in the SEC has taken the college football world by storm, and even on a Saturday full of games, everybody was still discussing the topic.
Such was certainly the case in Clemson. The CW’s broadcast of Clemson vs. Furman caught the attention of Awful Announcing as Kiffin’s pending decision while calling the Tigers’ 45-10 win over Furman. Play-by-play commentator Thom Brennaman spoke at length about the news, with color commentator Will Blackmon chiming in as well.
“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 has never coached for UCF; 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.”
Blackmon responded by saying that he would stay at Ole Miss if in Kiffin’s current position, but he did acknowledge that the head coach may want to go prove that he can win in a different situation.
Brennaman had a rebuttal ready for that notion:
“Well, he’s more than done that,” Brennaman said. “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 (Brennaman again means FAU), of course, but I’m talking about on the Power Four stage. But, he has done a phenomenal job at Ole Miss.”
“And I’m not so sure Florida and LSU are outspending Ole Miss in the portal and the NIL,” Brennaman added. “Matter of fact, I don’t think they are.”
Brennaman finished by claiming that the perception of Kiffin would be tainted if he made the move in this manner, especially given the current stakes surrounding Ole Miss’ season.
“The thing is 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.”
An announcement on Kiffin’s future is expected to come from the University following Friday’s Egg Bowl, with that game set for a noon ET kickoff in Starkville.
Thom Brennaman has a lot to say about Lane Kiffin on the Furman-Clemson broadcast.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 22, 2025
"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
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
