By Anne EricksonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberOn Sunday, Lane Kiffin is expected to announce that he's going to the LSU Tigers after a successful run with Ole Miss Rebels and will be the program's next head coach.
According to a report from Mark Schlabach and Pete Thamel of ESPN, LSU is expected to hire Kiffin on Sunday, and even though a source told the outlet that Kiffin's deal with the Tigers wasn't signed as of late Saturday, it "would be a shock" if he didn't sign.
The deal is a lucrative one, with the Tigers reportedly paying Kiffin $98 million over seven seasons, with the potential of making more with bonuses. That would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport, ESPN reports.
So, who will take Kiffin's place at Ole Miss? That's the big question. With Kiffin having one foot out the door, replacement options are emerging.
Read more: Lane Kiffin Has 1 Condition for His Ole Miss Exit: Report
...Read more: Joel Klatt Has Strong Thoughts on Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Decision
Bill Bender of The Sporting News named five potential candidates to take Kiffin's spot at Ole Miss: Jon Sumrall of Tulane, Glenn Schumann of Georgia, Jimbo Fisher, formerly of Texas A&M, Willie Fritz of Houston and Alex Golesh of South Florida.
Looking at those five, Bender notes that Sumrall would be "one of the top candidates for this job." He's 41-11 between coaching at Troy and Tulane, but reports also indicate that he's the top candidate for the Florida Gators opening and will make his decision on that gig on Sunday.
"Sumrall might be the most popular carousel candidate in the conference now with Kiffin off the board," Bender said. "How will that jive with the Green Wave squarely in the College Football Playoff hunt? He is the best replacement for Kiffin, but Ole Miss will have to make up ground quickly against Florida."
If that falls through, another favorite is Schumann, Georgia's defensive coordinator. Even though he doesn't have head-coaching experience, he's trained under legendary ex-Alabama coach Nick Saban.
"He was a student analyst at Alabama and was an assistant coach for Nick Saban at Alabama and now Kirby Smart with Georgia," Bender notes. "Schumann has no head coaching experience, but neither did Smart."
Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports has reported that Ole Miss is expected to forbid Kiffin from coaching in the College Football Playoff if he leaves for LSU, but Kiffin is also demanding to be able to coach that game, according to college football insider Brett McMurphy.
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