Two potential high profile SEC moves could be nightmare for Yurachek, Hogs

Arkansas Razorbacks would move even further down pecking order in coaching search

Arkansas Razorbacks athletics director Hunter Yurachek on the sidelines during game with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There's not a lot that could make Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek's efforts to find a new head football coach more difficult.

He's got certain major boosters who have refused to cooperate for quite some time continuing to let the program and its fans suffer by sitting out, the stigma of the mess created by those he has to answer to from the two previous coaching searches at Arkansas, and increased competition for what is becoming a more shallow pool of qualified candidates by the day.

However, there are two moves that seemed virtually impossible last week that are becoming more plausible by the day that would send this coaching search into true nightmare territory if either came down, much less both.

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin on the sidelines against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

It seems insane to think Lane Kiffin would miss out on potentially coaching in the national championship game a second time while watching from the comfort of his own couch at home, but that seems to be exactly what Ole Miss fans think is going to happen.

What started out as the typical teasing of flirtation with other jobs that agent Jimmy Sexton has required of all of his clients since the 1990s has turned into quite the quagmire over in Oxford. Arkansas fans are certainly familiar with the methodology, having become acquainted with it when one year it would be Nebraska that was rumored to possibly sweep in and scoop up head coach Houston Nutt while another season brought word LSU was on board with robbing the Hog pen.

However, as this annual dance began, Rebels fans immediately got angry and started spouting hateful words anywhere they could publicly fit one in. It became obvious quickly that a coach and his family as media savvy as the Kiffins would pick up on how fast the fan base that seemingly loved him turned at the idea Sexton did his job and listened to how much Florida and LSU were willing to put on the table.

Lane Kiffin posting his daughters sorority photos and inspirational quotes while the entire Ole Miss fan base collapses pic.twitter.com/vqAPwdeMh2

— ﱢ (@cookinquack) November 17, 2025

The problem to me is you have your family checking out the other schools and you’re doing this in our faces . Total disrespect to a school and fans . Here we are on the brink of the playoffs and you’re jerking us around . All the good will be gone.

— Sampson22 (@Sampson2258) November 18, 2025

Kiffin, not being one to handle that sort of stuff well, has since let it fester. Videos of someone getting off a plane somewhere, although it's not high enough quality to confirm it's the Kiffins and the location is for sure an airport in or around Baton Rouge, has been enough to send Ole Miss fans into full on rage mode.

They are fully convinced their coach took down Florida and next thing you know, Kiffin's wife, ex-wife, girlfriend or whatever the official term is at the moment, is apparently driving through local fast food restaurant drive-thrus in Louisiana telling random cashiers there is a deal sealed and delivered with LSU.

Yes, it sounds absurd and has little hope of actually being true, unlike Chipotle guy with the John Mateer news in Oklahoma, but that hasn't kept Ole Miss from going into full rage mode. Apparently, a contract has been put on the table and Kiffin has been told to sign it before the Egg Bowl or go find somewhere else to work.

Now, all of this has a deep hint of craziness that makes no sense from either side considering the Rebels appear to be all but locked into their first ever College Football Playoff appearance, but there is nothing in the history of either side of this mess to suggest chances aren't high they're both about to really screw this up.

If that happens, Yurachek finds himself in a bit of a lurch. Florida definitely takes a name off the board that doesn't affect the Arkansas search. However, LSU's own bit of self sabotage involving the governor, making that job dramatically less desirable, generates a possible threat to dip into the Hogs' short list.

Should the name in Baton Rouge officially become Kiffin, then Ole Miss certainly becomes a problem. The Rebels, despite appearing to have perhaps the best job in the SEC in terms of true support, still carry the stigma of all the years prior to Kiffin's arrival.

People have a hard time seeing reality versus branding. Thus, the administrators down in Mississippi may soon find themselves shopping the same shelves as Arkansas once again.

If so, all that support knocks Yurachek's quest for a quality coach down yet another rung.

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer congratulates Tide defensive back Zabien Brown (2) as he leaves the field after a stop against LSU. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

Perhaps the most unanticipated domino that could potentially fall is Kalen DeBoer. Before dropping a second unexpected loss in as many years to Bama killer Brent Venables and his Oklahoma Sooners, the idea of DeBoer not being in Tuscaloosa another year was far-fetched at best.

Now, it's become much easier to picture an inspired Auburn team creating havoc in the Iron Bowl while led by a much more qualified DJ Durkin in terms of being able to pull off an upset of Alabama than his predecessor, Hugh Freeze.

Before Alabama fans either get too upset or too excited about the idea, depending on which side of the fence they fall, this isn't a scenario where the Tide cut bait with the former Washington coach and start fresh after going all Auburn or Texas A&M handing out giant bags of dead money each year.

No. This is the distinct possibility that the constant pressure in Alabama and non-stop feeling of failure each time a perfect season proves to be impossible becomes too much.

There is a world where DeBoer says he's simply had enough. If that should be the case, the issue isn't whether there would be teams willing to hire him because the line forms to the left.

He has too many skins on the wall, especially outside of the SEC. However, the albatross hanging around his neck is the $60 million his buyout currently demands at the end of this year.

No team is going to pay that. Still, that doesn't mean there's not an exit.

Alabama has to look in the mirror should that take place and make a decision. Does it try to enforce a buyout it knows other teams aren't going to pay to keep their head coach in place as the contract is designed to do?

Or do administrators see this as a get out of jail free card, drastically reduce the buyout to single digits, and let DeBoer walk, thus avoiding having to pay him a huge sum of money to not work in Tuscaloosa at some point in the next year or two?

If that's the case, let him go be the next guy at UCLA. Maybe even let him walk to become the next great hope at Florida State or Ole Miss should they come open.

Certainly he would feel more support at either school while getting to use what he learned about recruiting the South during his short time at Alabama. The only question in that case would be whether the brass backing the Crimson Tide would allow it to look like DeBoer chose either program over Alabama rather than it being what it truly is, a pseudo-firing as clearly demonstrated by the adjustment in buy-out.

While it's unlikely to happen just yet, especially if Alabama holds on and finds its way through the back door to the playoffs, the sheet possibility has to cause Yurachek to stretch his list of potential candidates by at least a name or two while crossing his fingers DeBoer finds a way into the playoffs.

Of course, as the new head of the committee that makes that decision, he might be able to make that happen no matter how things play out, making his own primary job just that much easier.