Lane Kiffin’s future at Ole Miss has become one of the biggest storylines in college football. The head coach is expected to announce his plans sometime after the Egg Bowl, either on Friday or Saturday, and speculation has been running wild.

Now, the buzz has even made its way into the NHL, with Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk chiming in on what might be next for Kiffin.

What Did Matthew Tkachuk Say About Lane Kiffin’s Future?

Ole Miss heads into its final regular-season week at 10–1 and No. 7 in the CFP, nearing its first-ever playoff berth. Yet Lane Kiffin is still being linked to major openings at LSU and Florida.

On the Wingmen podcast, Tkachuk, currently recovering from an offseason injury, shared his thoughts on the rumors. He discussed reports of LSU offering Kiffin a massive $90 million deal over seven years, plus a $25 million NIL package, to strengthen the team.

Tkachuk explained that, according to what he’s seen and heard from NFL insider Adam Schefter and Pat McAfee, LSU, Florida, and Ole Miss are all prepared to offer Kiffin around the same annual salary.

“They’re all offering him 13 smiles a year-ish,” Tkachuk said. “They’re all offering pretty much the same money, so it’s really just whatever he wants to pick. I’ll be devastated if he leaves Ole Miss, but in the same sense, I don’t know why he would go to Florida, other than the history of the program.”

The Panthers’ left wing added that he sees the decision ultimately coming down to Ole Miss or LSU, and hopes Kiffin stays put, especially since he plans to visit Ole Miss next fall and wants to see Kiffin leading the team.

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Kiffin was asked about his future during a recent press conference, where he didn’t provide a direct answer, stating, “It had to be a place that really felt things were aligned in order to be somewhere that you can really win. I have zero reason to leave here because you are in the best conference there is in football. You’ve got great leadership, and you’ve got the ability to recruit great players. And you’ve got an awesome fanbase.”

Kiffin has also guided Ole Miss to bowl games in each of his five full seasons. With a 31–6 record over the last three seasons and a 54-19 record overall with the Rebels, all eyes are on what his next move will be.

Meanwhile, the Panthers, currently sixth in the Atlantic Division, will be looking forward to Tkachuk’s return.