Report: Oregon Ducks looking to poach SEC coach for head coach opening

After losing head coach Mario Cristobal to the Miami Hurricanes, the Oregon Ducks are rumored to have a huge interest in making an SEC head coach their new big man on campus. According to Pac-12 reporter Jon Wilner, Nike chairman and alumni of the University of Oregon, Phil Knight is lingering on the idea of bringing in Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin has yet to speak on the speculation or even the notion of jumping schools. He recently signed an extension with the Rebels to remain at the school through the 2025 season. If Kiffin was to leave Ole Miss, he will be leaving arguably the nation’s most dominant college football conference for one of the top head coaching opportunities in the country.

The PAC-12 received an injection of rejuvenation with the USC Trojans hiring former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. Along with Kiffin, Riley is one of the nation’s top offensive minds and an elite recruiter. If the Ducks can somehow find a way to commandeer the services of the Rebels head coach, it would set up an annual matchup of two of the best young offensive coaches in college football.

Oregon appoints interim head coach

After Mario Cristobal departed for the University of Miami on Monday, Oregon acted quickly to appoint his interim replacement.

Bryan McClendon will serve as the Ducks’ interim head coach for the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl, the university announced Monday evening.

McClendon is in his second year at Oregon. He was hired by Cristobal as the Ducks’ receivers coach and pass game coordinator after previous stops at South Carolina and Georgia.

“We appreciate Coach McClendon agreeing to accept a leadership role in providing the best possible bowl experience for our student-athletes,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said. “His previous experience as an interim head coach is valuable for our program as we prepare for the Alamo Bowl, and we are grateful for his willingness to step up and assume this responsibility for Oregon football.”

McClendon has been an extremely successful recruiter for the Ducks and took the lead on bringing Troy Franklin, Dont’e Thornton, and Isaiah Brevard to Oregon.

McClendon served as Georgia’s interim head coach for its bowl game in 2015 following the departure of then-head coach Mark Richt