Lane Kiffin isn't Houston's new head coach quite yet, but it definitely appears like they have eliminated one major candidate from consideration.
After a since debunked USA Today report that Kiffin was going to be named the head coach, ESPN's Brett McMurphy is now reporting that Houston is down to three candidates after originally being at five. Those candidate: Kiffin, offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, and defensive coordinator Todd Orlando.
Related: Danny Kanell receiving backlash after friendly fire on fellow ESPN analyst
Former LSU coach Les Miles appears to be the latest cut from consideration, which is on top of Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley being dropped on Wednesday. Riley's exclusion is a surprise, as multiple reports said Riley hit his interview "out of the park".
Kiffin is still seen as the favorite for the Cougars' top job, but Applewhite and Orlando reportedly have internal support for the position. The two coordinators with with Tom Herman for both his seasons at Houston, but Herman has since departed for the Texas job.
Related: Former Oklahoma, UCLA OC finally gets a job as an FBS head coach
Orlando is currently serving as the interim head coach for the Cougars.
It makes sense that the two coordinators would have that support, as they are already known quantities to the Houston staff. There is also less of a likelihood that those two would quickly depart for another head coaching job, which is feared from Kiffin due to his past of doing exactly that.
Houston is reportedly set to make their decision on Thursday evening.
