Next Ole Miss football coach: Top 5 best candidates if Lane Kiffin leaves

Ole Miss could soon join the growing list of programs in the college football coaching carousel if Lane Kiffin opts to leave Oxford. Much has been made about where Kiffin will go next, but who will the Rebels hire if the coach bolts for greener pastures?

The Athletic's Stewart Mandel reported that Ole Miss has given Kiffin an "ultimatum" to make a decision by the team's Nov. 28 matchup against Mississippi State. Ole Miss clearly would love to keep Kiffin, but the Rebels do not want to be the final program to enter the coaching carousel this cycle.

Ole Miss gave Lane Kiffin an ultimatum to decide if he will be leaving the program for Florida or LSU before the Nov. 28 Egg Bowl against Mississippi State, per @TheAthletic. pic.twitter.com/ZtaZwfb19t
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 17, 2025

The news comes after Kiffin's family made visits to LSU and Florida amid both program's courtship of the star's head coach, per Mandel. If Kiffin leaves, the Ole Miss job will have plenty of appeal to other top coaching candidates.

It would mark the fifth SEC program to hire a new head coach this cycle with Arkansas, Florida, Auburn and LSU already hitting the coaching carousel.

LSU arranged for a private plane to pick up several of Lane Kiffin’s family members to fly to Baton Rouge and tour the city on Monday 👀 pic.twitter.com/q7Rt5I0Gau
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 17, 2025

Here's a look at the top potential candidates to replace Kiffin at Ole Miss.

No. 1 Missouri HC Eli Drinkwitz

So, you're looking for a brash offensive-minded head coach who wears a visor? Enter Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz who has already done more with less in the SEC.

Yes, Ole Miss is a potential College Football Playoff contender partly because of Kiffin, but the Rebels' massive NIL resources cannot be overstated. Drinkwitz is coming off back-to-back double-digit win seasons at Missouri.

No. 2 Tulane HC Jon Sumrall

Tulane's Jon Sumrall has been picky when it comes to leaving New Orleans. Sumrall is very familiar with Oxford given the coach is a former assistant at Ole Miss.

.@bmarcello's message to Auburn AD John Cohen:

"Don't outthink yourself... Go hire Jon Sumrall. I'll tell ya right now, you go hire Jon Sumrall, Auburn's winning 10 games here within the next two years." pic.twitter.com/Tcg3CNip2Q
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) November 12, 2025

The Tulane coach has also been linked to a number of college football jobs, including Auburn and LSU. This is part of the reason why Ole Miss would like an answer from Kiffin sooner rather than later.

No. 3 Memphis HC Ryan Silverfield

Ryan Silverfield has already proven he can have success coaching in the South, even though Memphis is a bit different than Ole Miss. Like Sumrall, Silverfield is drawing plenty of interest from college football programs.

Memphis has had back-to-back double-digit win seasons. The Tigers could be headed for a respectable 9-3 record this season if Memphis can defeat Navy.

No. 4 Ohio State OC Brian Hartline

It makes sense that Ole Miss will want to once again turn to offense if the program needs to make a hire. Ole Miss may need to consider a current coordinator to find the right fit.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline could be one of the assistants in the mix. The longtime Buckeyes wide receivers coach has helped develop plenty of NFL wideouts. Ole Miss would be wise to at least give Hartline a look.

No. 5 Oregon OC Will Stein

Staying in the Big Ten, Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein is widely considered one of the best minds in college football. Stein's proximity to Dan Lanning does not hurt either as the Oregon coach may be the most coveted person in the sport of anyone not named Kirby Smart.