Ole Miss AD Keith Carter already talking to HC candidates

Mississippi Rebels athletic director Keith Carter on the field before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Despite no decision from Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss AD already talking to HC candidates

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Nov 30, 2025 9:31 AM ET

Despite Ole Miss head coach not yet having decided to either stay at Ole Miss or take the head coaching job at LSU, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter is being proactive.

Per Yahoo's Ross Dellenger, Carter has begun "engaging" with potential head coaching candidates if Kiffin does indeed leave Oxford. Those candidates include Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall — now believed to be Florida's top target in their coaching search — and South Florida head coach Alex Golesh, who reportedly signed a deal to become the next head coach at Arkansas but has not made an official announcement.

Kiffin and Carter had a meeting on Saturday to discuss Kiffin's future at the University of Mississippi, with no official announcement on Kiffin's future being made yet.

AD Keith Carter has already began engaging with candidates, notably Jon Sumrall & Alex Golesh, sources tell @YahooSports.

However, Florida pivoted from Kiffin to Sumrall, as reported Tuesday at Yahoo. Gators are believed to have a deal in principle. Final decision Sunday.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 30, 2025

According to Dellenger, how the Kiffin domino falls will majorly affect how those other schools go about their coaching search. Auburn interim head coach DJ Durkin is still a top candidate for the Tigers, while Arkansas would pivot to Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield and Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack if Golesh is no longer an option.

Coaching chaos remains in motion

Dellenger also reported that Sumrall has a deal with Florida in principle, but with no official announcement from any of the aforementioned parties, the coaching carousel remains mostly in limbo at the moment.

If Kiffin does leave Ole Miss, one of the biggest questions would be whether or not he is allowed to coach the Rebels in the postseason, which could include the SEC Championship Game if Alabama were to lose the Iron Bowl. Even if he takes the LSU job, it's still possible that Kiffin could be on the Ole Miss sideline during the College Football Playoff.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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