OXFORD, Miss. -- Last month, as some of the biggest college football brands pursued Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, a staff member polled the team's assistant coaches about where they wanted to be in the 2026 season.

The coaches discussed four options: Remain at Ole Miss , where they had built a legitimate College Football Playoff contender; leave for SEC rivals Florida or LSU ; or take over Florida State , which according to people with knowledge of the search, was making a stealth move to poach Kiffin.

The entire defensive coaching staff, led by coordinator Pete Golding, preferred to stay at Ole Miss, which was on the verge of its first 11-win regular season and CFP appearance, two sources told ESPN.

All but one offensive assistant wanted to leave for either Florida or LSU, which histo

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