The sharks circling around Florida head coach Bill Napier are still there, with every game a potential sticking point if he is relieved of his duties. This means that the media is discussing who could be the next Gators head coach should Napier no longer be there.
College football analyst Josh Pate joined the "Crain & Company Podcast" and was asked if Lane Kiffin would consider the Florida job. Pate replied, "In a heartbeat, Lane Kiffin would walk to Florida if they gave him the job."
Would Lane Kiffin go to Florida? @JoshPateCFB
— Crain & Company (@CrainCompany) September 12, 2024
Watch the full discussion here:https://t.co/YWXSF9tnbj pic.twitter.com/e1Jmru1n2a
Now, the college football world can surprise you. However, I'd be pretty confident to say that Lane Kiffin is not going anywhere, despite what Pate and others may think.
Lane Kiffin has the keys to the Ole Miss Football program
Lane Kiffin is happy at Ole Miss because he gets to build this team how he sees fit. Heading into his fifth season, Kiffin has built the program into a playoff contender and potentially much more. The Grove Collective is one of the fastest-growing NIL collectives in college sports, with Walker Jones putting them amongst the best. That has helped Kiffin build a roster capable of challenging the elite.
Right now, Ole Miss is years ahead of Florida. Yes, they have money down in Gainesville, but it would take a solid few years of recruiting and transfer portal additions for Florida to challenge the SEC again. Kiffin would not jeopardize his reputation in Oxford to try to build the Florida program up again. He has Ole Miss at a high level and can move them further.
The majority of his family is down in Oxford now, and we also know that his daughter, Landry, talked him out of the Auburn job two seasons ago. He has spoken about his son, Knox, moving to Oxford to play high school football in Mississippi in 2025. Finally, his brother has joined the coaching staff at Ole Miss, and Lane Kiffin has a calmness around him away from football. It looks different from years past for Kiffin.
We will see what happens if Billy Napier is no longer Florida head coach, with Kiffin's name likely coming up. However, I'm confident Kiffin will be Ole Miss's head coach for some time.