Bruce Feldman gives an update on Lane Kiffin, Miami situation

Rumors have been swirling about Manny Diaz’s job security at Miami for some time now. One name to pop up is Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin — and FOX Sports reporter Bruce Feldman gave an update on that possibility on Wednesday.

Speaking with Colin Cowherd on The Herd, Feldman talked about how Miami would replace Diaz. One name he threw out was Oregon coach Mario Cristobal, a Miami native who played for the Hurricanes. But Cowherd asked about the price tag, which led to the discussion about Kiffin.

“If there’s no Mario, I think there are some old Miami people, former Miami players, who do have some influence,” Feldman said. “They have more voice than at any other program in the country. A lot of those guys who are interested in Lane, and Lane, I think, would have a hard time saying no if Miami came after him.”

Cowherd responded with insight on his relationship with Kiffin and agreed with Feldman’s point.

“Miami feels like Lane Kiffin,” Cowherd said. “I think Brian Kelly looked like a Notre Dame football coach. Brian Kelly, once he [got] out of the anger tunnel he was in, it kind of worked. Boston guy, Notre Dame. There are coaches that feel like schools.”

Feldman on why the Miami job would be attractive for Lane Kiffin

Feldman also discussed the difference in competition going from the SEC to the ACC. The SEC has six teams ranked in the latest CFP rankings, including Ole Miss at No. 8. The ACC, meanwhile, has four.

He argued the ACC is about beating Clemson instead of beating Alabama, Georgia and other SEC heavyweights.

“In the ACC, it’s basically Clemson right now, and that’s what you’re shooting at,” Feldman said. “You don’t have a lot of other stuff. Yeah, Pitt had a really good year and NC State had a decent year. But it’s there for the taking. You’re going to compete against Clemson, and you don’t have to go push past like six other SEC heavyweights who are honestly, they’re better-resourced than they are at Ole Miss. So that’s the interesting part of that. … A lot of the stuff that Miami, I think, buzzes about, it fits with him.”

Feldman isn’t the only one to speculate about Miami’s potential interest in Kiffin. FOX Sports analyst Brady Quinn recently said Miami wants the type of buzz Kiffin brought with him to Ole Miss.

But it might not be a forgone conclusion Diaz is let go in Miami. On3’s Matt Zenitz reported there’s a “good chance” Diaz keeps his job.