Former $95 million college football coach named potential replacement for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss

It appears Lane Kiffin will not be the head coach at Ole Miss next season.

Reports surfaced last night saying that Kiffin will be the next head coach at LSU, a decision that should be officially announced on Sunday. The question now shifts to who will be tabbed to replace Kiffin in Oxford?

The expectations remain high for the Rebels, who have won 10 or more games in three consecutive seasons under Kiffin. The program is also expected to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history this season, finishing 11-1 overall with a win over Mississippi State on Friday.

Could Ole Miss pursue a former national championship winning head coach to replace Kiffin?

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

According to Bill Bender of The Sporting News, former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher could be a "boom-or-bust" hire for the Rebels.

"Fisher can recruit at an elite level, and he might come out of that coach reset with some lessons that could apply to NIL and the transfer portal era," Bender wrote. "It's a boom-or-bust hire, but it's splashy enough to put Kiffin in the past."

Fisher has not coached the past two seasons after being fired at Texas A&M.

He received a record-setting $76.8 million buyout, which still ranks as the most expensive in college football history. He initially signed a 10-year $75 million deal in 2018, but received a new contract in 2021, worth $95 million guaranteed.

Over his six seasons in College Station, Fisher compiled a 45-25 overall record and was 27-21 in the SEC. He led the Aggies to three bowl wins, including the Orange Bowl during the shortened 2020 season. That year was Fisher's most successful team, finishing 9-1 overall and ranked No. 4 in the final AP Top 25 poll.

Even with that early success, the expectations were national championships, which Fisher was unable to deliver. He went 11-11 over his final two seasons, leading to his dismissal as head coach after only 10 games in 2023.

Before his stint at Texas A&M, Fisher built a championship contender at Florida State. Over his eight seasons, Fisher was 83-23 overall and 48-16 in the ACC. He led the Seminoles to the 2014 BCS National Championship game, defeating Auburn 34-31 to secure the program's third national title.

The Seminoles won three ACC championships during Fisher's tenure in Tallahassee. He won 10 or more games in six of his eight seasons, including five consecutive from 2012-16. Fisher also made seven consecutive bowl appearances, winning five, including four in a row from 2010-13.

As Ole Miss waits for Kiffin's official announcement, the Rebels will turn their attention to preparing for the College Football Playoff. It remains to be seen if Ole Miss takes a swing at Fisher to replace Kiffin this offseason.