The LSU Tigers firing Brian Kelly was the biggest domino to fall during the current college football coaching hiring cycle. Kelly was dismissed on Sunday night after a 49-25 loss to the TAMU Aggies on Saturday night that dropped LSU to 5-3 on the year.
Now, one of the best jobs in the sport is open. And Kelly, who had a 34-14 record with the Tigers with an SEC West crown in 2022 on his resume, is a flawed, but accomplished coaching candidate with a proven track record in transfer portal recruiting who can make sense with some of the open SEC jobs right now.
The Sporting News's Bill Bender sees the Auburn Tigers, which isn't yet an open job after Hugh Freeze's team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 33-24 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks in Week 9, as one. Bender also sees the Florida Gators as one. Bender does not view Arkansas the same way, though.
"Florida and Arkansas have vacancies, so perhaps Kelly stays in the same conference. Would Kelly be a fit at Florida? The Gators are on their fifth head coach since Urban Meyer left in 2010, and Kelly was 4-5 against top-10 teams while at LSU," Bender wrote.
"The Arkansas job also is open. Imagine Fayetteville with Brian Kelly and John Calipari. That would mean interim coach Bobby Petrino -- who is 0-3 since taking over for Sam Pittman -- is gone. The Razorbacks need a larger face-lift than Florida to be competitive in the SEC, however, Kelly would be in for a longer rebuild there. This does not seem like the right fit.
"Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is also on the hot seat, so that would be a third school to watch. Auburn won a national championship in 2010, and it is a program that could be a playoff contender. LSU was 2-1 against Auburn with Kelly."
Auburn isn't firing Hugh Freeze in 2025
What was once a formality is no longer so. Freeze may not be fired after all. Not in 2025, anyway.
At 4-4, this season is far from over. Auburn has two very winnable games left against the Kentucky Wildcats and Mercer Bears. They have two tougher games against the Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide that could greatly improve Freeze's standing if he can get over that hump.
Finally beating Diego Pavia and slowing down his Heisman hype train, possibly ending it altogether after Vanderbilt is done with the Texas Longhorns in Austin the week before, or winning the Iron Bowl and sending a scare to Tuscaloosa would immediately bring good vibes to the Plains.
Remember, Auburn's boosters view the Oklahoma Sooners and Georgia Bulldogs games as spiritual wins due to the confirmed crooked officiating. Ken Williamson, who refereed the UGA game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, has since been dismissed.
6-6 may be 8-4 to them. So seven or even eight wins this campaign would be a major success to the program's brain trust.
Freeze ain't leaving. Unless AU loses to Mercer.
Recalibrate your thinking. Kelly's firing changed things.