The Miami Hurricanes’ season took another painful turn on Saturday, falling 26-20 to SMU in overtime at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The loss came after T.J. Harden’s one-yard touchdown run and Ahmaad Moses’ interception of Carson Beck on Miami’s first overtime possession. Now, Miami’s playoff hopes and possibly its faith in Mario Cristobal took another hit. As Miami fans clamor for change, one name keeps popping up.

And if you guessed Lane Kiffin, sorry, no bonus points; that one was too easy. One of the loudest calls came from actor and comedian Michael Yo, a die-hard Miami fan who took to X after the SMU loss to demand change. “Miami, go get Lane Kiffin,” he wrote. “I’m tired of this meathead ball with the same outcome. Mario is our Mark Richt at Georgia. Go get our Kirby Smart.”

It’s an interesting comparison by Yo, which has a lot of hidden similarities. If you take a look at Mark Richt at Georgia, he had one of the longest tenures there with a 145-52 record, from 2001 to 2015. His winning percentage is .740, leading Georgia to win the SEC championship twice, and that too in his early tenure. Georgia, under Richt, was successful, but it wasn’t enough to win the national title. Then came Kirby Smart, who transformed the Bulldogs, winning back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.

Fans like Yo, Cristobal is Miami’s Richt. Good, but not transformative, while Kiffin could be the Smart-like spark the Hurricanes need. Cristobal has a  28-18 record, as of now, and has struggled against ACC opponents, where he has a conference record of 14-14. Whereas Kiffin has been at Ole Miss for five seasons and is already the third-winningest head coach in Rebels history. After going 5-5 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he’s led the team to three double-digit win seasons in 2021, 2023, and 2024, along with back-to-back bowl victories in the Peach and Gator Bowls.

With Ole Miss chasing its first-ever SEC Championship Game appearance in 2025, it’s easy to see why every major program wants a piece of Lane Kiffin.

Lane Kiffin is in demand despite his buyout

The Ole Miss head coach has been on the top search list among every program that has released their coach in the mid-season. He is one of the top targets of the Florida Gators, LSU, and PSU. And Ole Miss, where he currently works, looks to keep him for a longer tenure, offering a contract extension through 2031, but Kiffin is reportedly delaying his contract. 

If Lane Kiffin has signed a contract extension with Ole Miss, his buyout value will be $84 million. He earns $9 million this season, as per his current contract, and has no duty to mitigate, meaning his future earnings would not offset the amount owed to him. As Ole Miss eyes its first-ever playoff appearance, the school’s biggest win may be keeping its head coach in Oxford for now.

However, an inside agent said, “Right now, it’s hard to imagine Lane Kiffin coaching at Ole Miss next year. The opportunity at either LSU or Florida is too big.” It’s clear that, if Miami wants to enter the contest for Kiffin, Miami needs to spend millions. On the other hand, they have to owe Cristobal $80M, as per their ten-year deal, signed in December 2021. Will the Hurricanes risk it all for Kiffin?