Whether during his current tenure with the Ole Miss Rebels or at other stops, Lane Kiffin is no stranger to being included in coaching rumors. The polarizing figure patrolling the sidelines in college football since 1999 always seems to be a top candidate, or at least a name mentioned, when the next big job opens up. So with Billy Napier now out with the Florida Gators, it only stands to reason — and perhaps even more so in this situation — that he's arguably the top candidate. And it's worth noting that Kiffin isn't following the same playbook with how he's handling it.
On Friday, ahead of Ole Miss' huge showdown in Norman with the Oklahoma Sooners, Kiffin was asked how he's handling the Florida rumors internally by ESPN's Molly McGrath. In previous instances, Kiffin seemingly just dismissed them and didn't see the need to make any sort of deal out of them. This time around, however, the Rebels head coach is taking a different approach, namely addressing them with his team.
He detailed his plan to McGrath, who relayed the plan on SportsCenter (h/t On3).
"Lane Kiffin told me he usually doesn’t address those kind of coaching rumors in-season, because there’s so much more football to play, and there’s so many bigger things to focus on. But he’s actually going to do things differently today in their team meeting – he is going to address those (Florida) rumors with his players. He’s going to talk to them about it and say: ‘Hey, this is what happens when you win. This is a compliment to our players, our staff and our entire program.’ He wants to talk to his players about it because there’s so many new guys on their team this year that haven’t dealt with it before."
And that could mean more to Florida than anyone might realize.
Lane Kiffin gives Florida fans a signal to dream on amid coaching rumors
Since Kiffin took over at Ole Miss in 2020, the aforementioned coaching rumors before Florida have been there, ranging across the country. He's one of the first names that's connected to an open job, not the least of which was the Alabama job back ahead of the 2024 season. And yet, this is the first time he's addressing it with his team.
Why would someone change their approach at this point in their career? Yes, you could argue that part of it is timing, especially with Ole Miss still in the College Football Playoff hunt right now and facing a big challenge on the road to keep those hopes alive. At the same time, couldn't it also be the fact that these rumors have more substance than any before? That feels equally as plausible.
McGarth also alluded to the connection of Kiffin to Florida and Gators legend Steve Spurrier.
"But I will say, Kiffin really idolizes legendary former Gators coach Steve Spurrier. And when I covered Ole Miss’ game at Florida last year, Kiffin pulled me aside and said this is a really special place for me and my family. It’s where he had his first date with his children’s mother, so (Gainesville) is a nostalgic place for the Kiffin family. Perhaps that will play a role into it. But right now they’re just focusing on Ole Miss and the Rebels, and their players telling me they wouldn’t be able to tell (if Kiffin was distracted), so it seems as if Kiffin is in Oxford to stay as far as his communication with them."
Kiffin is handling this like a professional, showing tremendous growth from his early years in the head coaching ranks, to be abundantly clear. However, this entire situation, from his respect for the Gators, to the respect for that job, to his previous ties to the state of Florida, to the higher upside of Florida historically in comparison to Ole Miss, and so on, appears different.
There seems to be reason for Gators fans to think that they aren't eyeing some pie-in-the-sky type of target, but actually have a legitimate chance to be on the cusp of landing one of the best coaches in the sport.
Lane Kiffin is exactly what Florida needs to get the Gators back
Make no mistake, Kiffin is one of a kind. Sometimes, that rubs people and fans the wrong way. At the same time, he's not the same guy who left Tennessee. He's not the same guy who was left on a tarmac. He's shown tremendous growth as a leader and professional in the coaching business. When you then pair that with his elite connections, player relationships, and schematic nose, you get something special.
If you need any evidence, Ole Miss from 2005-19, a span that included four head coaches, the Rebels won 10 games just once (2015 under Hugh Freeze). In five full seasons with Kiffin, they've reached that mark three times already, and could be on the verge of hitting it for the fourth time in six years. And that's with a program in Oxford that, while well-resourced, also isn't operating with the same budget or recruiting advantages as their SEC counterparts.
Florida could offer him those upgrades, however. But more importantly, he could also be the antidote for what's become a toxic athletic administration and group of boosters.
Guys like Napier and, to some degree at the end of his tenure, Dan Mullen, have been perceived as ultimately serving a higher power in Gainesville and getting too many voices in the room. That doesn't excuse their shortcomings, but it does make an already difficult job that much harder. We know what Kiffin is capable of on the sidelines, but what he's capable of behind closed doors could be even more crucial.
If Florida hires Kiffin, luring him from Ole Miss and the salary that comes with that would give him the power to be the monarch of the Florida Gators program, which is exactly what they need. The many voices will be drowned out by his voice, which will be the guiding light. And with everything this new opportunity could offer him, it's hard not to think that's the right recipe for Florida to get back where every fan believes they should be in the SEC and college football hierarchy.