Kiffin was added to the list of coaches in the running for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

While the Ole Miss community is still reeling from the Rebels’ first loss of the season, there has been a glimmer of good news: Head coach Lane Kiffin has been named to the watchlist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year award, sponsored by the American Heart Association.

There are currently 28 coaches on the watchlist. The SEC’s nine candidates on the list marks the highest representation from one conference. The next closest conference is the Big Ten with six candidates. Nick Saban was the last SEC coach to win the award in 2020.

Lane Kiffin stands on the field during a game against Georgia in Sanford Stadium on Oct. 18. Photo by Antonella Rescigno

With Ole Miss’s loss to Georgia on Oct. 18, Kiffin’s road to winning the award becomes a bit more difficult. The last coach to win the award whose team did not win its conference was TCU’s Sonny Dykes in 2022-23, when the Horned Frogs lost the Big 12 Championship Game 31-28 against Kansas State. However, the Horned Frogs still advanced to the National Championship.

The award is honors “contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field,” according to the awards group.

Following the win against Washington State on Oct. 11, Kiffin became the fastest head coach in Ole Miss history to reach 50 wins. He beat the previous record-holder, Johnny Vaught, by six games. Kiffin also ranks second in Ole Miss history with a .735 winning percentage behind Vaught’s .745.

Kiffin was the first coach to achieve back-to-back 10-win seasons in (2023-24 and 2024-25) since Vaught (1959-60 and 1960-61). Ole Miss has never recorded three straight seasons with 10 or more wins, meaning Kiffin has the chance to make history this season.

The award will be presented on Jan. 21, 2026, during the American Heart Association’s awards ceremony on CBS.

Tags: Coach of the Year lane kiffin Ole Miss Football

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