Alex Kirshner
@alexkirshner.com
@SplitZoneDuo.com. Also @slate.com, @theathletic.com, and elsewhere. I like to have a nice time online.
This is a real and proper buyout, not one of those fakes that gets negotiated down. Always be on the lookout for buyout integrity
The decision to fire Stoops is a costly one. His contract calls for a $36 million buyout, all of which is due within 60 days, a result of extensions from Stoops’ winning years.
More details ⤵️
www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...
More details ⤵️
www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...
Kentucky firing Mark Stoops, winningest football coach in school history: Source
The Wildcats had a great run under a portion of Stoops' tenure but have looked dreadful recently.
www.nytimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:57 AM
This is a real and proper buyout, not one of those fakes that gets negotiated down. Always be on the lookout for buyout integrity
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
NEW SUBSCRIBER EPISODE: The big Black Sunday coach carousel notebook, taking you through the day of news in chronological order w/ lots of reporting from Richard and talk about what we've seen www.splitzoneduo.com/p/black-sund...
Black Sunday Blow-by-Blow: Lane Kiffin and the Coach Carousel in Real Time
A big subscriber episode on the week's coach movements.
www.splitzoneduo.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:44 AM
NEW SUBSCRIBER EPISODE: The big Black Sunday coach carousel notebook, taking you through the day of news in chronological order w/ lots of reporting from Richard and talk about what we've seen www.splitzoneduo.com/p/black-sund...
Running for eight yards on third-and-9 and then punting, while down two scores in the second half!
Every day Mike Tomlin continues in this job is an insult to his own legacy
Every day Mike Tomlin continues in this job is an insult to his own legacy
November 30, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Running for eight yards on third-and-9 and then punting, while down two scores in the second half!
Every day Mike Tomlin continues in this job is an insult to his own legacy
Every day Mike Tomlin continues in this job is an insult to his own legacy
Art Rooney II should be embarrassed
November 30, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Art Rooney II should be embarrassed
Man it would just RULE to be an NFL defensive player and not jump offside on one of those fourth-down delay of game gambits. I'd lose my mind pumping up the crowd
November 30, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Man it would just RULE to be an NFL defensive player and not jump offside on one of those fourth-down delay of game gambits. I'd lose my mind pumping up the crowd
James Cook wasn't previously good at football, was he? Feel like this is a new thing
November 30, 2025 at 10:24 PM
James Cook wasn't previously good at football, was he? Feel like this is a new thing
Was thinking about this, and also thinking about Michigan State's public response when they've been called on any number of things since Nassar (no I'm not comparing these cases, thank you). I think the hazing episode and Fitzgerald becoming a martyr in certain circles was a real draw
I seriously have no idea why you’d hire Pat Fitzgerald. He wasn’t a playcaller or strategic mind, his whole schtick was selling Northwestern Culture because he played there, and then it turns out that culture featured a brutal atmosphere of sexual hazing
November 30, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Was thinking about this, and also thinking about Michigan State's public response when they've been called on any number of things since Nassar (no I'm not comparing these cases, thank you). I think the hazing episode and Fitzgerald becoming a martyr in certain circles was a real draw
There's no good legal reason to keep Pat Fitzgerald out of coaching. They looked hard and didn't find proof he knew about the rampant hazing in his program. For that, he got a settlement. But only in the sycophantic world of CFB media is that degree of ignorance (from a head coach!) a green light
November 30, 2025 at 9:21 PM
There's no good legal reason to keep Pat Fitzgerald out of coaching. They looked hard and didn't find proof he knew about the rampant hazing in his program. For that, he got a settlement. But only in the sycophantic world of CFB media is that degree of ignorance (from a head coach!) a green light
This is the most shameless thing I've ever seen in Heisman campaigning. So bold that I respect it unironically. This guy is not even the best player on Texas Tech's defense and they are feeding him goal-line TDs in a ploy to distract Heisman voters
Bless @alexkirshner.com for calling the Tech/Rodriguez Heisman campaigning what it is on the new SZD.
November 30, 2025 at 9:13 PM
This is the most shameless thing I've ever seen in Heisman campaigning. So bold that I respect it unironically. This guy is not even the best player on Texas Tech's defense and they are feeding him goal-line TDs in a ploy to distract Heisman voters
Was looking for something in Jonathan Smith's contract and have found myself transfixed by his brutalist handwriting. The sharp edges are scary
November 30, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Was looking for something in Jonathan Smith's contract and have found myself transfixed by his brutalist handwriting. The sharp edges are scary
Carter can secure lifetime tenure in his job if he cuts a good wrestling promo about Kiffin at a press conference in the next 24 hours
November 30, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Carter can secure lifetime tenure in his job if he cuts a good wrestling promo about Kiffin at a press conference in the next 24 hours
He's a pretty good contingency plan and they really like him there, as we talked about a few weeks ago @splitzoneduo.com. Golding as an in-house candidate was insurance in case they waited for Lane and then got burned. Which, yeah, still sucks to get burned. But I think they're going to be OK
SOURCE: Ole Miss players were told defensive coordinator Pete Golding will be the head coach in place of Lane Kiffin for at least the playoff run, @theathletic.com has learned.
November 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
He's a pretty good contingency plan and they really like him there, as we talked about a few weeks ago @splitzoneduo.com. Golding as an in-house candidate was insurance in case they waited for Lane and then got burned. Which, yeah, still sucks to get burned. But I think they're going to be OK
Any hire could work out for reasons foreseen or unforeseen, but Arkansas needs someone who can stretch a buck and Silverfield made as many AAC Championships as any of us have as head coaches. He did that at one of the richest G5 jobs
As the resident SZD/Fullcast Silverfield skeptic, I’m sure you understand our frustration. I’ve never seen the Arkansas fanbase this unified *against* someone. I think the anger is mostly directed toward Yurachek, but it is toxic here right now.
November 30, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Any hire could work out for reasons foreseen or unforeseen, but Arkansas needs someone who can stretch a buck and Silverfield made as many AAC Championships as any of us have as head coaches. He did that at one of the richest G5 jobs
I am hopeful that we can at least stop with the victim-of-circumstance stuff after this. He is a better heel than a fake reformed guy anyway (though good for him for real on the sobriety)
November 30, 2025 at 5:45 PM
I am hopeful that we can at least stop with the victim-of-circumstance stuff after this. He is a better heel than a fake reformed guy anyway (though good for him for real on the sobriety)
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
i am done waiting for the official announcement. I wrote up all the reasons the Lane Kiffin saga felt like college football at its worst sports.beehiiv.com/p/lane-kiffi...
I hated the Lane Kiffin saga
Lane Kiffin distracted from a tremendous weekend of ball ... SPEAKING OF WHICH: The ACC-pocalypse is nigh! Ivy League football struck back! And more from the best 48 hours of the year.
sports.beehiiv.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
i am done waiting for the official announcement. I wrote up all the reasons the Lane Kiffin saga felt like college football at its worst sports.beehiiv.com/p/lane-kiffi...
There is no grand, complicated scheduling bargain for CFB to get out of the coaching carousel crunch btw. The sport is tied to universities that have semesters. It's not NOT a problem but it's also not usually this messy. Ole Miss just made a bad bet and its coach happens to be Coach Mess
November 30, 2025 at 5:10 PM
There is no grand, complicated scheduling bargain for CFB to get out of the coaching carousel crunch btw. The sport is tied to universities that have semesters. It's not NOT a problem but it's also not usually this messy. Ole Miss just made a bad bet and its coach happens to be Coach Mess
There is a certain admirable quality about Lane wanting to keep coaching Ole Miss for a few more weeks. Taking a new job isn't crime and it's nice to honor this team's season. Problem is that he's Lane Kiffin so he'll 100% use the time to undermine Ole Miss' future to the benefit of an actual rival
November 30, 2025 at 4:49 PM
There is a certain admirable quality about Lane wanting to keep coaching Ole Miss for a few more weeks. Taking a new job isn't crime and it's nice to honor this team's season. Problem is that he's Lane Kiffin so he'll 100% use the time to undermine Ole Miss' future to the benefit of an actual rival
Happy for Auburn fans, who get to root for an aggressively normal good football coach instead of Hugh Freeze, DJ Durkin, Bryan Harsin, or even Tommy Tuberville
November 30, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Happy for Auburn fans, who get to root for an aggressively normal good football coach instead of Hugh Freeze, DJ Durkin, Bryan Harsin, or even Tommy Tuberville
The Venn diagram between people who act like Lane Kiffin has fundamentally changed the past few years is a perfect circle w/ people who think Bryson DeChambeau has evolved into a new person as he's found YouTube
November 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The Venn diagram between people who act like Lane Kiffin has fundamentally changed the past few years is a perfect circle w/ people who think Bryson DeChambeau has evolved into a new person as he's found YouTube
Congrats to him
SOURCES: Arkansas is hiring Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield, @theathletic.com has learned.
Silverfield was 29-9 over the last three years with several Power 4 wins. (On3 first reported)
Silverfield was 29-9 over the last three years with several Power 4 wins. (On3 first reported)
November 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Congrats to him
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
Please send this email by me and @alexkirshner.com to Marty Smith and get him all caught up on what he missed while having to stand in front of a wall for 24 hours
So much college football happened during the Lane Kiffin drama
Until Saturday is The Athletic's free college football newsletter.
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Please send this email by me and @alexkirshner.com to Marty Smith and get him all caught up on what he missed while having to stand in front of a wall for 24 hours
Hawaii needs to pull their kicker after that one to protect the perfect season. Very simple, like getting a pitcher out of there in the last game of the season when his ERA is 1.99
KANSEI MATSUZAWA!!!
November 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Hawaii needs to pull their kicker after that one to protect the perfect season. Very simple, like getting a pitcher out of there in the last game of the season when his ERA is 1.99
Done trying to post Playoff projections in one rip into the Bluesky text editor. Too messy, can't avoid typos.
But one conclusion I think we can make now: There's not gonna be room for Texas. They'd have a good case in a lot of years but the committee won't be able to justify that
But one conclusion I think we can make now: There's not gonna be room for Texas. They'd have a good case in a lot of years but the committee won't be able to justify that
November 30, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Done trying to post Playoff projections in one rip into the Bluesky text editor. Too messy, can't avoid typos.
But one conclusion I think we can make now: There's not gonna be room for Texas. They'd have a good case in a lot of years but the committee won't be able to justify that
But one conclusion I think we can make now: There's not gonna be room for Texas. They'd have a good case in a lot of years but the committee won't be able to justify that
OK, boomeranged around to thinking the Duke thing is 1) mainly funny and 2) a chance to get JMU into the playoff
November 30, 2025 at 4:36 AM
OK, boomeranged around to thinking the Duke thing is 1) mainly funny and 2) a chance to get JMU into the playoff
Cam Coleman letting AUBURN down rather than vice versa would be a crazy way for his time there to end
November 30, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Cam Coleman letting AUBURN down rather than vice versa would be a crazy way for his time there to end