Ole Miss football, Lane Kiffin to hire Illinois' George McDonald as new assistant | Reports

OXFORD — Lane Kiffin is set to hire Illinois' George McDonald as Ole Miss football's new wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, according to multiple reports.

McDonald will replace Derrick Nix, a longtime Ole Miss assistant who was recently named offensive coordinator at Auburn for Hugh Freeze.

McDonald has been a Division I assistant since 2001, pausing for two years only to coach wide receivers for the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

He's spent the last three seasons on Bret Bielema's staff in Champaign. Previously, he coached at NC State for six seasons, with other stops at Syracuse, Miami, Minnesota, Western Michigan, Stanford, Northern Illinois and Ball State.

Near the top of McDonald's coaching resume is the job he did with Illinois' Isaiah Williams.

Williams started his college career as a quarterback and went on to receive All-Big Ten honors at receiver twice, including first-team laurels in 2023. He finished the 2023 season with 82 receptions for 1,055 yards and five touchdowns.

TRANSFERS: Ole Miss football, Lane Kiffin land Washington transfers Nate Kalepo and Julius Buelow

McDonald now inherits one of the most talented groups of receivers in the country. Stars Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins are returning from a prolific group of wideouts in 2023. Ole Miss also added former All-SEC performer Juice Wells, as well as Deion Smith, the top junior college prospect in the country.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football hires Big Ten assistant as WRs coach | Reports