Houston will move forward with offensive coordinator Major Applewhite as its next head coach, reports FootballScoop.com.

This comes a day after reports (albeit, conflicting) had indicated that Houston was preparing to name Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin as its replacement for Tom Herman.

Kiffin now finds himself in an odd circumstance. Alabama coach Nick Saban has repeatedly praised Kiffin as someone who is fully capable of becoming a head coach again, likely in effort to see him outside the SEC rather than becoming LSU’s next play-caller.

But now that the Houston job is taken and USF seems to be putting together a deal with Charlie Strong, Kiffin’s options as a HC are slowly depleting — but keep watch for FAU and Temple.