How does Lane Kiffin handle coaching rumors? 'Don't worry about things we can't control'

Oct. 20—OXFORD — The college coaching carousel is spinning faster than ever before. And Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is staying out of its path.

Kiffin has the Rebels (5-1 overall, 2-1 SEC) ranked 12th in the AP poll and on the verge of bowl eligibility. The Ole Miss opponent this weekend, LSU, just lost its head coach, as Ed Orgeron will step down at the end of the season.

Rumors have already begun swirling about potential candidates, and Kiffin has been listed as one possible replacement for Orgeron. CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd and ESPN's Adam Rittenberg listed Kiffin as a candidate and, per Sportsbetting.AG, Kiffin has the second best odds to be the next head coach of the Tigers at +500. Michigan State's Mel Tucker currently leads the betting odds (+200).

In-season coaching talk is nothing new — Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher was recently asked about the LSU job while Penn State's James Franklin has been asked about the USC job. Even Dabo Swinney, who has won two national titles at Clemson, has been mentioned as a potential LSU candidate.

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As Franklin said when asked about USC earlier in the season, coaching talk tends to be a "distraction" that takes away from team goals.

"As you guys know, I can't stand any form of distraction. So, I'll discuss this today with the leadership council so that we can make sure all of our energy is on our preparation for Auburn," Franklin said, per Saturday Tradition. "So, that's how we'll handle it."

Kiffin was asked Monday about how he handles coaching rumors with his team and with recruits. Put simply — it's not on his or his players' radars, despite the outside noise.

"I don't think I've ever had to address that with the team. I think the team knows how we focus, one week, one day at a time. I've never addressed that. Maybe I should," Kiffin said. "We don't worry about things we can't control that are on the outside. Obviously, in recruiting you always battle that; every coach probably battles that, but especially since leaving Tennessee. It is what it is, and we just work our way through it."

Williams getting attention

Senior defensive end Sam Williams is second in the SEC with 6.5 sacks and is tied for sixth nationally. Williams entered the season with 10 sacks to his name but has blossomed in 2021.

Success doesn't mean things have come easily, however, as Williams told reporters Tuesday that it's not particularly often he gets blocked one-on-one. Part of that is because Ole Miss' base defense has three men on the line of scrimmage, but part is also because of Williams' dominance.

"Oh yeah," Williams said with a laugh. "This week we worked on it, because I think I'm getting double-teamed this week. We're rushing three on them, so it's five against three. So they're going to double-team me sometimes, put the back on me."

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Eli's return

Ole Miss legend Eli Manning will have his famous No. 10 jersey retired Saturday at halftime of the game against LSU. To mark the occasion, Ole Miss will paint each of its endzones with "Manning" on it.

Manning, the son of former Rebels star Archie Manning, was a three-year starter for Ole Miss from 2001-03, throwing 81 touchdown passes and 35 interceptions. He finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 2003 and was the first pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He was traded to the New York Giants, where he won a pair of Super Bowls.