As announced by the university on Monday, Auburn has officially fired head coach Bryan Harsin in the midst of his second season on the Plains.
“Auburn will begin an immediate search for a coach that will return the Auburn program to a place where it is consistently competing at the highest levels and representing the winning tradition that is Auburn football,” the university said in a press release.
Harsin was hired by Auburn in December 2020 and led the Tigers to a 6-7 record in 2021. However, the 2022 season has been very disappointing at just 3-5.
The now-former Auburn coach was previously the head coach of Boise State from 2014 to 2020 before taking over the Tigers’ program.
However, with Harsin now out the door, things look to be moving quickly.
According to 247 Sports’ Brandon Marcello on CBS Sports HQ on Monday, Auburn’s top candidate will be former Tennessee head coach and current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
“The No. 1 candidate will be Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss,” Marcello said via 247 Sports. “He will be the No. 1 guy, and I can tell you this because John Cohen, coming from Mississippi State, is very familiar with what Lane Kiffin has obviously done at Ole Miss. But here’s the No. 1 thing. He has been a killer in the transfer portal. He calls himself the Transfer Portal King. Auburn needs immediate help in that football program.”
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Ole Miss and Kiffin have a bye this week before hosting Alabama in Oxford on Nov. 12.
Kiffin took over the Rebels’ program before the 2020 season and is in the middle of his third season at the helm. The former FAU coach went 5-5 during the COVID-shortened season before turning in a terrific 10-3 season in 2021. Kiffin now has the Rebels at 8-1 through the first nine weeks of the 2022 season.
Lane Kiffin was the head coach of Tennessee during the 2009 season, leading the Volunteers to a 7-6 record.
