MOBILE, Ala. -- Lane Kiffin said he hopes to be back as Oakland Raiders head coach next season, a day after reports surfaced that owner Al Davis has asked him to resign.
"I hope so," he said.
Kiffin would not comment further on a report by ESPN that Davis drew up a resignation letter for him two weeks ago.
"It's got nothing to do with this game, and these guys' last game here," he said.
The Raiders have denied the report when it came out Friday.
Speculation about Kiffin's status began three weeks ago after reports surfaced following the season that he wanted to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The Raiders dismissed those reports and announced that Ryan was staying on as coordinator.
Kiffin was reportedly upset that he didn't have control of his coaching staff, leading Davis to ask for his resignation. If Kiffin were to resign, he would not be paid for the remaining two years of his contract.
Kiffin, 32, was the youngest man to coach a game in the NFL since Harland Svare took over the Los Angeles Rams as a 31-year old in 1962. The team went 4-12 in his first season in Oakland, doubling the team's win total from the previous year and showing signs of improvement in many areas.
But it marked the fifth straight year that Oakland has lost at least 10 games.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.
