The 2025 Ole Miss football season quickly went from one of the best seasons in school history to very cloudy. Lane Kiffin is on the radar of two different jobs next to Ole Miss, with Florida and LSU vying for his services as their next head coach. A decision is coming after the Egg Bowl, but if Kiffin leaves, the Rebels might have their next guy ready; they will compete with Auburn for him.
College football reporter for ‘The Athletic,” Chris Vannini reported that if Kiffin were to leave, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall would be at the top of the Rebels' list, but also on top of Auburn's. Florida might also get in on the bidding war if Kiffin leaves for LSU. Sumrall has ties to Ole Miss, so this would make sense on that end, too.
Vannini said, “At Ole Miss, Sumrall is expected to be a top option if Kiffin leaves. Sumrall was an Ole Miss assistant in 2018, and the Rebels’ roster spending has made that job much more attractive than it used to be. But Sumrall, an Alabama native, has been a top focus of the search at Auburn, where his wife went to school. And again, Florida could be an option if Kiffin goes to LSU.
“It’s also worth noting that Fisch has a $10 million buyout to leave Washington. Auburn has long planned to name a coach the day after Saturday’s Iron Bowl. If not Sumrall, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, and Lea could be options, as well as current interim head coach D.J. Durkin, who has support.”
Lane Kiffin is the biggest domino of the coaching carousel, and a decision is expected after the Egg Bowl on Friday night or sometime during Saturday.
Another factor for Jon Sumrall is that the Tulane football team is playing exceptionally well and could make the College Football Playoff. If that happens, then it could delay the schedules for both Ole Miss and Auburn, unless Sumrall opts to leave the Green Wave early, before the postseason starts.
Jon Sumrall is the top choice for Auburn, but if D.J. Durkin pulls off the upset against Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then Durkin's chances sharply rise. That domino could make the decision easy for Sumrall and Ole Miss.
