Lane Kiffin could surpass legendary Ole Miss head coach Johnny Vaught in major statistic this college football season

Being mentioned in the same breath as legendary Ole Miss head football coach Johnny Vaught is an honor bestowed upon a select few head coaches in college football history. Entering the 2024 season, that's exactly where current Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin finds himself when it comes to one of the most important statistics in football.

During Vaught's Ole Miss 25-year tenure from 1947-1973, the Rebels experienced tremendous success, with three national titles to go alongside six SEC championships. His record as head coach was 190-61-12, which equates to the highest winning percentage from an Ole Miss head coach since 1900 at 75.5 percent.

Fast forward one half of a century and Kiffin is knocking on the door with an impressive record himself. In five years with Ole Miss, Kiffin has posted a 34-15 record, good for second on the list with a winning percentage of 69.39 percent.

Although Kiffin can't catch Vaught's outrageous postseason accolades in this upcoming season, he does have an opportunity to stand alone in the Ole Miss record books. If Kiffin and the Rebels can run the table with a 12-0 season, then Kiffin will leapfrog Vaught winning 75.4 percent of his games since arriving to Oxford.

Here are a few scenarios as it relates to Kiffin's winning percentage at the end of the season:

• 12-0: 75.4%
• 11-1: 73.7%
• 10-2: 72.1%
• 9-3: 70.49%
• 8-4: 68.85%

It should be noted that winning at Vaught's level for a 25-year span is an incredible accomplishment. While Kiffin has resurrected the Rebels and has them staring down the barrel at a bid to the College Football Playoff, maintaining this standard for another two decades is a near impossible task in a conference as tough as the SEC is.

Kiffin will likely pass Vaught's impressive mark sometime in the next year or two, but it won't mean a thing if Ole Miss can meet expectations this fall. Anything short of a College Football Playoff berth would be a disappointment in Oxford, Mississippi. At the end of the day, if Kiffin and his team can handle their business, the history book will take care of itself.