TAMPA — Hours before Ole Miss plays in their first bowl game in five years, Lane Kiffin received some good news.

The school announced the extension of the first-year coach’s contract on Saturday. The extension is essentially rolling over this year to make Kiffin’s contract a new four-year max contract. Mississippi state law prohibits colleges from having coaching contracts longer than four years.

“This is an investment in the future of Ole Miss football,” said Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter. “We hired Coach Kiffin with the hope of revitalizing our football program, and in just one short year, he has done just that. His innovative offensive approach has shattered SEC records, and with a top-20 recruiting class coming in, the future is bright under Coach Kiffin’s leadership. We are committed to him and providing the resources necessary to elevate this program to greater heights.”

In Kiffin’s first season at Ole Miss, the offense ranked top-20 in FBS in 10 different categories, including total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense (216.7), passing offense (344.8), passing yards per completion (14.99), team passing efficiency (183.5), completion percentage (71.4 percent), first downs (249), third down conversions (50.4 percent) and kick return defense (17.1).

The Rebels set a new SEC record for total offense in conference games, averaging 562.4 yards a game.

“I appreciate Keith’s leadership and his commitment to building a winning football program,” Kiffin said. “While I’m proud of what our team accomplished this season, we have higher aspirations for Ole Miss football. This is just the start, and I look forward to continuing to build a championship program.”

Ole Miss (4-5) takes on No. 7 Indiana (6-1) in the Outback Bowl on Saturday.