Lane Kiffin made it clear he was accepting the LSU head coaching job this weekend, and the SEC dominoes began to fall.
Florida hired 43-year-old Jon Sumrall from Tulane, who was long thought to be a favorite for the Auburn job, and Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach to replace Kiffin.
Auburn hired 41-year-old Alex Golesh from South Florida, who reportedly turned down the Arkansas job.
Golesh, after two 7-6 seasons at the Tampa school, led USF to a 9-3 record this season that included wins over Florida and Boise State at the start of the season.
The Razorbacks announced on Sunday that they are hiring former Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield, who has gone 50-25 at Memphis.
The Tigers beat Arkansas in September, leading to the firing of former coach Sam Pittman, and have four straight wins over Power 4 programs, including bowl wins over West Virginia and Iowa State.
Kiffin’s coaching decision has been among college football’s hottest headlines, as the 50-year-old was publicly courted by Florida and left the Rebels fan base begging for him to stay with the program.
Terms of Kiffin’s new contract with LSU, which he was expected to finalize on Sunday, have not been released. NOLA.com reported LSU put together a seven-year offer with an annual salary expected to top $13 million.
The Bayou Bengals are also reportedly prepared to commit some $25-30 million annually to funding the roster through NIL funds, which clearly would be a factor for Kiffin.
Florida’s move to hire Sumrall came together quickly after it became apparent Kiffin was not interested in the job.
Sumrall’s deal with Florida is for six years and $45 million, according to ESPN.
Sumrall was 42-11 over his first four seasons as a head coach while at Troy and Tulane — the teams that will meet in the American Conference Championship Game.
“The University of Florida is one of the premier programs in college football, and it’s an incredible honor to serve as the head football coach,” Sumrall said in a statement.
“I believe in building a team rooted in toughness, accountability and a relentless competitive spirit. Florida has everything necessary to compete at the highest level — the resources, the support, the tradition and the passion of Gator Nation. My family and I are excited to get to work.
“One of my first priorities will be to assemble an incredible staff, including an offensive coordinator who understands that, at Florida, having an explosive offense isn’t optional — it’s mandatory!”
Golding, at Ole Miss, will be working to secure his coaching staff along with preparing his team for the College Football Playoff.
Per On3, Kiffin told his former offensive staff at Ole Miss that if they weren’t on the plane to join him in Baton Rouge on Sunday, they won’t have a spot on his staff.
Former Alabama, LSU and Michigan State head coach Nick Saban — who Kiffin said he would seek counsel from before deciding his future — pulled a similar move when leaving East Lansing in 1999.
Kiffin made it clear he wanted to continue coaching Ole Miss through the College Football Playoff after leading the team to an 11-1 record, but the Rebels’ administration did not agree to that.
Ole Miss recognized the potential for a conflict of interest, as the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2 and under current rules players can transfer with immediate eligibility.
LSU and Ole Miss are border-state rivals who play annually in what’s known as the Magnolia Bowl.
Kiffin’s coaching carousel exit could affect the Rebels in the College Football Playoff rankings.
College Football Playoff protocol states that “unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance” is among the rankings principles.
Ole Miss was No. 7 last week and one of three one-loss projected at-large teams jockeying for position at the CFP selection committee mulls this week’s rankings, which are due out at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Texas A&M dropped to 11-1 with its 27-17 loss to Texas on Saturday and will fall from the No. 3. spot, but how far down will it go among teams not playing in conference championship games?
Oregon (11-1) was No. 6 last week and scored a 26-14 win at Washington, and many believe the Ducks will be ranked higher than the Aggies.
The Rebels (11-1) scored a 38-19 win at Mississippi State in Kiffin’s final game as the Ole Miss head coach.
Kiffin led the Rebels to a 55-19 record over his six seasons in Oxford, including a 32-17 mark in the SEC.
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