Lane Kiffin could be heading to Florida after the Gators fired coach Billy Napier, according to Bleacher Report’s College Football Reactions host Mike Golic Jr.
Golic Jr. predicts the Ole Miss coach will leave Oxford for one of the SEC’s most prestigious jobs. The position was previously held by Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
“Overreaction or not, Lane Kiffin will be the Gator head coach next year. Not an overreaction,” Golic said.
“I just think where there’s smoke, there could be fire here. Florida is one of the premier jobs in the SEC. They are a big fan base, a big university. They’re in a state that’s always been a recruiting hotbed and we saw with Billy Napier this last year, they’re willing to pony up.”
Golic believes Florida will prioritize SEC head coaching experience when making their hire.
Josh Pate made similar comments in September. He claimed Kiffin would take the Florida job “in a heartbeat” once Napier was fired.
“Lane Kiffin would walk to Florida if they would give him the job. This is not a debate,” Pate said during the September 11, 2024, edition of Crain and Company.
“Win a national championship, that’s what you can do there. And you can consistently be a player there.”
Pate sees Ole Miss as a “window program” that builds for multiple years to reach a peak. Florida can sustain success year after year, he argues.
The recruiting numbers support this view. Florida landed the No. 7 high school recruiting class for 2025, while Ole Miss finished No. 16.
Ole Miss countered with the No. 4 transfer portal class. But portal-based roster construction isn’t sustainable long-term.
The 2022 TCU team proved portal-built contenders are possible. They reached the national championship game as a one-year wonder.
But those teams are the exception, not the rule.
Florida’s Advantages
Florida has more than three times as many alumni as Ole Miss. The state provides better resources for competing at the highest level.
Governor Ron DeSantis has discussed the Gators and their 2025 and 2026 schedules on social media. Few people outside Mississippi even know who their governor is.
Ole Miss faces a ceiling that doesn’t exist at Florida.
That’s why predictions about Kiffin landing in Gainesville aren’t particularly bold.
