Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin a potential Auburn coaching candidate according to The Athletic
Bruce Feldman and Matt Fortuna of The Athletic recently released an article titled "Carousel crystal ball: Which coaches might rise and fall into new jobs in ’22?" in which they went over the potential coaching changes in every single Power Five school following the upcoming 2022 season.
Unsurprisingly, Auburn is on the list. Here's what Feldman and Fortuna had to say about the Tigers potentially losing Bryan Harsin:
Auburn is like Louisville in that its only constant is rampant instability. The Tigers just brought in a new president, and the status of AD Allen Greene will be talked about endlessly until he is given an extension, as he is in the last year of his contract. None of that bodes well for Bryan Harsin, who survived a tumultuous first year on and off the field but might not have anyone left in his corner should the Tigers not improve in 2022. They lost their final five of 2021 to finish 6-7.
But, this being Auburn, expect success when it is least apparent. This is a program, after all, that has not posted consecutive seasons of 10 or more wins since 1988-89, but has managed to win one national title, play for another and post two more undefeated seasons during that span.
All fair points. We don't know what the future holds for Auburn, but the program often finds success when nobody expects it. Hypothetically, if Harsin were to get let go, Feldman and Fortuna have a potential replacement already in mind.
Lane Kiffin, the current head coach of Ole Miss and former offensive coordinator for Alabama, could be someone the Tigers pursue heavily. The Athletic speculates over what Auburn's attraction to Kiffin would be should Harsin get the boot in year two:
(Kiffin's) shoot-from-the-hip style may turn off some ADs and presidents, but he seems less risky than he did back in his FAU days and less so by the year in Oxford, where by all accounts, things have gone fairly smoothly on and off the field. To their credit, the Rebels have stepped up considerably to support him and the program, paying him well over $7 million a year.
Then again, if Auburn targets him to contend with his old boss Saban, the Tigers would likely make a big move on him financially and could offer him more recent history to compete for championships.
A Lane Kiffin move to Auburn after finding some stability with the Rebels would be shocking, for sure. But it fits Kiffin's track record and would be a move that makes some sense for both parties involved, despite undoubtedly sending shockwaves through college football.
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