While LSU, Florida and Ole Miss are in the race to have Lane Kiffin in 2026, fellow SEC programs Auburn and Arkansas are decidedly outside of that tier this season.
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Auburn appears to be closing in on making Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall its next head coach.
Meanwhile, the hunt in Fayetteville has been somewhat banal, even though Arkansas was the first SEC program to fire a coach this cycle. The Razorbacks parted ways with Sam Pittman on Sept. 28 after losing 56-13 to Notre Dame at home.
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One name could be of interest to watch after Sunday night, when the Las Vegas Raiders fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly amid a 2-9 start.
Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated thinks Kelly could become a candidate for several college football programs, including Arkansas.
“On the very same day Wilcox was fired, so was Chip Kelly (19) as offensive coordinator by the Las Vegas Raiders,” Forde wrote. “This creates some intrigue, perhaps not only at Cal but at other programs with openings. (Oregon State comes quickly to mind, but what about Oklahoma State and Arkansas if they’re not too far down the road with other candidates?)”
Kelly earned the position with the Raiders after he helped Ohio State win the national championship in January as its offensive coordinator. He spent one season with the Buckeyes after his six-year tenure with UCLA.
Kelly is 81-41 as a head coach at the college level (Oregon, UCLA). He led the Ducks to the BCS National Championship Game in 2010, but lost 22-19 to Auburn.
It’s unclear if Kelly wants to deal with the stresses of being a head coach. However, his success with Ohio State could lead him to return to a similar position at the college level.
Still, Arkansas should consider reaching out to Kelly to see if he has an interest in taking a job in the SEC.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.