Pete Thamel reveals the biggest issue facing Lane Kiffin about Auburn opening

With rumors swirling about Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin being a potential candidate for the open Auburn job, ESPN senior writer Pete Thamel joined the Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday to break it down.

With the Rebels still in the race to win the SEC West this season, Kiffin has not indicated one way or the other what his interest in the job is. According to Thamel, it ultimately could come down to whether Kiffin wants to deal with what has proved to be a frustrating power dynamic between past Tigers coaches and the Auburn administration.

“The question for Lane is, is he going to want to expose himself to the whims of Auburn?” Thamel said. “There will always be the existential question of who’s in charge there. Does Lane have the time and patience for that? Do they have the time and patience for Lane? It’s an interesting question, but no one can doubt Lane Kiffin’s offensive acumen at this point or his ability to run a program.”

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Other than firing coach Bryan Harsin midway through his second season, Auburn is also undergoing a transition at athletic director. The Tigers recently hired John Cohen for the role away from Mississippi State, and he will replace Allen Greene.

But if Lane Kiffin is comfortable taking on the challenge of rebuilding the Auburn program, Thamel has no doubt that he would be a great fit. The ESPN analyst pointed to how Kiffin has turned his coaching career around after being fired from USC in 2013, going on first to build up the program at Florida Atlantic and now Ole Miss.

After going 5-5 in his first season with the Rebels, Kiffin has led them to an 18-4 record over the past two seasons.

“We tease Lane obviously, but as he’s recast his career — remember everybody thought he was crazy for going to FAU — well, he turned them into a conference title contender there and built them into a strong, top 25 caliber program and has proven to be a capable collegiate head coach,” Thamel said. “He’s got Ole Miss in places it couldn’t have dreamed to go. Ole Miss is still technically in the national title conversation. They’re right in the thick of the SEC West race still. So credit to Lane Kiffin for this mid-career reboot.”