SEC Coaching Chaos: Auburn Lands Alex Golesh, Florida Tabs Jon Sumrall, Arkansas Turns To Ryan Silverfield

The coaching drama between Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin has certainly had an impact on this current carousel, but two schools from the SEC have made their hires. Both Alex Golesh and Ryan Silverfield joining the conference. 

Now, while Lane Kiffin continues to go scorched earth on Ole Miss out the door, a number of schools have made hires on Sunday morning. 

After Arkansas made a full-court push for USF coach Alex Golesh over the past week, it was Auburn who came in at the last minute to steal the coach from the Razorbacks. 

Auburn Hires Alex Golesh Away From USF

In what has been an ongoing process for the Tigers, with plenty of folks around the building under the impression DJ Durkin could get the job, AD John Cohen quickly pivoted to Golesh. 

Unfortunately for Arkansas, they could not finalize the agreement with Golesh, with the USF head coach turning his attention to Auburn once they entered the pictured. It was reported earlier last week that Golesh had agreed to become the Arkansas coach, but there was no contract signed between both parties. 

Now, coming off a 9-3 record this past season at USF, the South Florida head coach is taking his offensive philosophy to Auburn, where the expectation is that defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will remain on the staff. 

This is ultimately a big win for the Tigers, given the ongoing chaos around the coaching carousel. Auburn has signed Golesh to a six-year deal, averaging $7.4 million per season. 

Florida Gators Hiring Tulane's Jon Sumrall

After the news that Lane Kiffin would not be accepting the Gators position, Florida had to pivot quickly, targeting Tulane coach Jon Sumrall to replace Billy Napier. 

This news has not sat well with Florida fans, who see the school hiring another G-5 coach, and know what transpired on the last go around from that level of football. But, in my honest opinion, Sumrall was the best coach available during this coaching carousel, for now. 

As for what's next, this will be a challenge when it comes to exciting the fan base. For weeks, Florida fans were under the impression Lane Kiffin would end up in Gainesville. But now that the school had to pivot, and meet with Sumrall about taking the job, there is a panic setting in within the Florida fan base. 

It's understandable given how the last few hires have gone, but if Sumrall hires a stellar offensive coordinator, he has the resources at Florida to win. 

Arkansas Hiring Ryan Silverfield From Memphis

Essentially, Razorbacks AD Hunter Yurachek wanted to keep this one in his back pocket, in case the deal with Alex Golesh fell through. 

So, when that deal with the USF coach was not finalized, Yurachek called Ryan Silverfield and officially offered him the job. Silverfield has gone 29-9 over the past three seasons at Memphis, after taking the job in 2020. 

Over his six years as head coach of the Tigers, Silverfield went 50-25 as the head coach, with four bowl wins. 

Obviously, this is not what Arkansas fans were expecting just four days ago, but this coaching cycle has been an absolute rollercoaster. 

Arkansas can expect a strategic offense, but there will clearly need to be booster gatherings to sell everyone on this idea, and continue raising NIL funds to help the Razorbacks succeed. 

This has been one of the wildest coaching cycles in recent memory, and we aren't done yet. Stay tuned to OutKick for the latest coverage, and follow me on social media for news out of the college football world.