Ole Miss FIRES Men's Basketball Head Coach Kermit Davis | CBS Sports

Over in College Hoops, Ole Miss has fired head coach Kermit Davis. The Rebels are 10 and 18 this season and are tied for last place in the SEC. It closes the book on Davis's five seasons in Oxford, which had just one NCAA tournament appearance. Here's more from our Matt Norlander on what happens next. The news landing Friday that Kermit Davis was fired at Ole Miss was not that shocking. There were rumors a year ago he could be canned and Ole Miss has not been a good team all season long. So this was not a matter of if, but simply a case of when and it has landed here.

So as Ole Miss opens, what kind of job is this? It's not one of the best in the SEC. In fact, it ranks across the industry. People tell you as a bottom three job in that league and thus it really is among the 10 or 12 least desirable jobs in a high major conference. But it is a big six job. So there will be no short of interested candidates. Three names that do come to mind and then speaking with sources around college troops, I keep an eye on for now. Dusty May is an obvious candidate.

There are connections there. The Florida Atlantic coach has his team on a great track to the NCAA tournament and he has had five consecutive winning seasons with the Owls. Another one. How about Ron Hunter at Tulane? He's done a really, really good job. I would expect him to at minimum get an interview and be involved in there. Might not be a bad hire overall, I think. And then three, another name to know is Grant McCaslin out of North Texas.

Now, he might have a few options here. McCaslin has been a big name as of late. North Texas is jumping conferences, so he will have a better chance in a move up in league currently there in CUSA. But Grant McCaslin is inevitably going to have a bigger job. The question is, would he want to take Ole Miss or wait out for maybe a bigger opportunity even in this cycle? And if not, then certainly next year. Do you want a sports network that delivers everything that matters about the game? The highlights, the picks, the instant analysis, no yelling, no fake debates, no politics. Hit the subscribe button and never miss a moment.

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