A coaching change at Indiana could greatly affect Ole Miss’ search for a new defensive coordinator.

Multiple reports surfaced Thursday afternoon claiming the Hoosiers have fired coach Kevin Wilson, and the school will hold a news conference at 6 p.m. to address the situation. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who has been strongly connected to the vacancy in Oxford, is expected to be named the interim and be a serious contender for the full-time job.

Several outlets have mentioned Allen as a leading candidate to replace retired Ole Miss defensive coordinator Dave Wommack. He has a long-running relationship with Rebels coach Hugh Freeze, having coached under him at Lambuth, Arkansas State and from 2012-2014 at Ole Miss.

Indiana’s defense has made great strides in just one year under Allen, who engineered a unit that finished the regular season 58th nationally in scoring defense (27.3 points per game). Allen has helped the Hoosiers become bowl-eligible in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1990-1991.

He’s a logical fit for Ole Miss, but Thursday’s surprise coaching change just might remove him from the picture.