After three years in Boca Raton with the Florida Atlantic Owls, Lane Kiffin is expected to be named the next head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels on Sunday.
Lane Kiffin’s return to the SEC could be taking place at Ole Miss.
After Rivalry Weekend, there were three openings in the SEC. The Arkansas Razorbacks moved off Chad Morris weeks ago, Barry Odom was fired by his alma mater, even after his Missouri Tigers beat Arkansas in the Battle Line Rivalry and then there’s the end zone celebration that cost Matt Luke his job at his alma mater with the Ole Miss Rebels. Waiting in the wing was…Kiffin?
Yes, that Kiffin, who has spent the last three years leading the Florida Atlantic Owls in Conference USA is about to head back to the SEC. No, not as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator, nor as the next head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Neal McGready of Rebel Grove first reported Kiffin reached an agreement to be the next head coach at Ole Miss.
Football Scoop and USA TODAY Sports’ Dan Wolken confirmed McGready’s report. ESPN South Florida’s Seth Cohen reported Kiffin is expected to make a formal announcement on Sunday after Florida Atlantic’s game on Saturday. The Owls are playing the UAB Blazers at home in Boca Raton in the Conference USA Conference Championship Game.
Wolken added it seems Ole Miss was able to win the Kiffin sweepstakes over Arkansas, who was also viewing for his coaching services. The Hogs have been without a head coach for a few weeks but will need to act fast to get their guy. It might very well end up being Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers at this point, who is poised to win the Group of 5 and is an Arkansas native. He’s also viewed as the favorite for the Florida State job.
But for now, Ole Miss gets the exciting hire it desperately needs to get back to football relevancy in the SEC. The Rebels went 4-8 in 2019, losing the Egg Bowl to rival Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night. Luke was an Ole Miss legacy and a likable guy but didn’t win enough to get another year leading his alma mater’s football program.
Should Kiffin, in fact, be the next head coach of Ole Miss, he will do to things very well in Oxford: Field a prolific passing offense and recruit. He is one of the better offensive minds in the college game today and will be able to hold his own recruiting in the SEC West with the likes of Saban, Jimbo Fisher and his long-time friend and coaching buddy Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers.
With all the sanctions lifted from the Hugh Freeze era of Ole Miss football, Kiffin should be able to get to work rebuilding the Rebels program to his liking. It’ll take a few years, but he’s done enough both at Alabama as an offensive coordinator and as a head coach at Florida Atlantic to get another shot leading an SEC team.
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