Oregon football rumors: Phil Knight has eyes for big fish in coaching search
Oregon football’s coaching search was hit with conflicting rumors with Phil Knight’s interest in Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin undetermined.
The biggest coaching search still ongoing in an absolutely wild college football coaching carousel belongs to the Oregon Ducks.
Head coach Mario Cristobal left town for Miami, leaving Oregon in need of a new figure to lead their program.
The Ducks may have gotten blindsided by Cristobal but they have Phil Knight’s millions at their disposal to reel in a big fish. One may have already emerged.
Oregon football could go after Lane Kiffin as head coach
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News reported on Wednesday evening that Knight is interested in Lane Kiffin. That came after Bud Elliott named Kiffin as a name to watch on the Cover 3 podcast.
Have heard from two Pac-12 sources that Phil Knight is interested in the Lane Train. Don't know if anything will come of it but an interesting slice of the search https://t.co/cL4gvPkL3g
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) December 9, 2021
While Wilner is connected in Pac-12 circles, the reporting from closer to Oregon took a very different view of the supposed interest.
Jon Canzano of The Oregonian tweeted shortly after Wilner that the Ducks are not looking Kiffin’s way.
Lane Kiffin “not in the mix” for Oregon football vacancy, per source.
— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) December 9, 2021
So now it’s a question of who you believe.
It’s still very early in the process for Oregon, so a lot can change in a matter of minutes, let alone hours. Still, the Ducks need to get a move on with the Early Signing Day coming up in exactly a week. The sooner they can identify a new head coach, the sooner they can work to salvage their recruiting class.
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