According to 247Sports, the Ole Miss Rebels are looking for another staff member, as senior associate athletic director/football general manager Austin Thomas is expected to return to the LSU Tigers for a third term. Thomas joined Ole Miss’ staff in 2022, after becoming one of the first general managers in college football with the Tigers in 2021. He previously worked with LSU as a member of Les Miles’ staff from 2013 to 2017. Thomas managed the administrative and operational responsibilities of the football program at Ole Miss and served as a liaison to university constitole missuencies. Thomas was not retained by LSU when coach Brian Kelly was hired in December 2021, but it looks Baton Rouge is calling once more.
From 2018 to 2019, Thomas was the Texas A&M Aggies’ associate athletic director for football personnel. In 2020, he was the senior associate athletic director for Baylor’s football program. Prior to that, Thomas was a part of Lane Kiffin’s coaching staff at the Tennessee Volunteers and the USC Trojans.
The departure of Thomas is unfortunate, but Ole Miss has not experienced a high level of staff turnover this offseason. On Saturday, the Rebels hired George McDonald of the Illinois Fighting Illini as wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator, after Derrick Nix’s promotion to the Auburn Tigers.
