The Lane Kiffin saga seems set to end on Sunday, with the high-profile head coach set to jilt Ole Miss in favor of LSU after weeks of speculation. That heaps a ton of pressure on the Rebels' administration to move quickly to secure a replacement who can keep the momentum going in Oxford.
Some might criticize athletic director Keith Carter and his staff for not forcing a decision from Kiffin earlier in the coaching carousel. The good news is that waiting didn't cost the Rebels very many attractive candidates. Sure, they might have liked to get in the mix for Jon Sumrall before Florida beat them to that punch; but while Sumrall's an attractive candidate, he also is not a lock to succeed in Gainesville. The same can be said for Alex Golesh, who appears to be Auburn's new head man.
Still, given the way this whole mess has unfolded, the pressure is on Ole Miss to come up with a coaching candidate who can both win the press conference and win games on the field in 2026 and beyond. These five names should be at the top of the Rebels' shopping list.
Ole Miss coaching candidate No. 1: DC Pete Golding
Make no mistake: There's a healthy portion of the Ole Miss fan base that would push back on keeping anyone associated with Kiffin in the fold. But it's worth noting that Golding has already said he won't follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge. His preference is to remain in Oxford.
He might be willing to do that as a defensive coordinator, but he could also have aspirations to move up to be the head man. He's got a good reputation on his side of the ball, but his lack of experience on offense means he'd need to make a very strong coordinator hire to succeed.
There's a strong chance that Golding never gets in the mix here, but he's the assistant with the best chance of keeping things together. That is enough to get him on this list, even if he's a bit of a long shot.
Ole Miss coaching candidate No. 2: Louisville HC Jeff Brohm
Jeff Brohm is not getting a lot of attention from SEC schools with openings at the moment, but expect that to change quickly in the coming hours. He's done well at Louisville and could see now as the right time to take the step up in money and prestige.
Brohm's offensive system would be a good fit with the way Ole Miss has operated under Kiffin. He's earned the reputation of being a quarterback whisperer, both with the Cardinals and at his previous stops at Purdue and Western Kentucky. That's an attractive quality for a program like Ole Miss that might have to coach up their quarterbacks as opposed to outbidding the competition in the portal.
Brohm may not have the brash personality that Kiffin brought to Oxford, but the school might be slightly tired of that personality trait. He would not be a home run hire, but he'd give the Rebels a high floor to operate from. All he's done is win consistently at places where that's more difficult than Ole Miss.
Ole Miss coaching candidate No. 3: SMU HC Rhett Lashlee
Brohm is not the only ACC head coach who might be an attractive option for the Rebels. Rhett Lashlee's success at SMU could position him for a high-profile move to Oxford, despite the Mustangs' tough loss to Cal late Saturday that knocked them out of the conference title game.
The big question with Lashlee is whether the contract extension he signed midseason might make him financially unattainable for would-be suitors this year. He's got a great situation at SMU, who are never hurting for money and have an easier path to the Playoff, and won't be anxious to move. But that does not mean Ole Miss couldn't tempt him with the right offer.
He makes the list as a good offensive coach with SEC ties (he was the OC under Gus Malzahn for much of the latter's heyday at Auburn). Some members of the fan base might not be happy with landing an Arkansas alum, but the Rebels would do well to measure his interest in the coming days.
Ole Miss coaching candidate No. 4: James Madison HC Bob Chesney
Bob Chesney has been strongly linked with both the Penn State and UCLA openings, but hasn't gotten a lot of ink with the SEC despite his success in Virginia with the Dukes. Ole Miss could change that in an instant if they make a strong move for the James Madison head coach.
The concern with Chesney is that he's just succeeded in the aftermath of what predecessor Curt Cignetti left behind. But the truth is he's done an outstanding job taking that platform and building on it, and his stint at JMU came after winning big at the FCS level at Holy Cross. Ole Miss would do well to land a head coach whose only loss this year is a competitive one at Louisville.
The challenge here is the perception that Chesney has all of his eggs in the Penn State basket. Ole Miss would not be exercising due diligence if they failed to feel him out. He could be the coach with the most upside on this list.
Ole Miss coaching candidate No. 5: Houston HC Willie Fritz
No 65-year-old head coach is going to qualify as a long-term solution for Ole Miss, but Willie Fritz could stabilize the program in the aftermath of Kiffin's departure. His work reviving the Tulane program allowed him to move to Houston, where he's given the previously moribund Cougars a similar lift.
Fritz's diverse, high-octane offense would be a nice fit in Oxford. He might need a strong assistant pool to make sure he recruits high-level SEC talent to Ole Miss, but that's an investment the school can afford to make.
Fritz should be the floor of this coaching search, but he's a nice option if bigger targets prove to be unattainable. He won't win an SEC title in Oxford but he can keep them in the mix for high-level bowls until they're ready to chart a new, long-term course.