Lane Kiffin's Future a Bigger Storyline than Florida-Ole Miss

It's not often that the actual game is not a main storyline between two SEC programs. Yet, it's unlikely anyone remembers Saturday's game between Ole Miss and the Florida Gators in the next 20 years.

Lane Kiffin's decision on where he coaches next season, however, will be.

Kiffin has largely been the subject of Florida's coaching search as he makes a push towards the College Football Playoff with Ole Miss. While Saturday's game between the two programs has plenty of storylines—Florida needs to win out to reach bowl eligibility, Ole Miss is looking for revenge after the Gators knocked them out of playoff contention a year ago, DJ Lagway needs a bounce-back game, Kewan Lacy is approaching 1,000 yards, etc.—none triumph Kiffin.

It's something Florida has had to navigate this week while in desperate need of a win.

“I've not mentioned it to our staff. I've not mentioned it to our players. Do I read them, and am I aware of it? Absolutely, but no, we just have to prepare," UF interim Billy Gonzales said.

It's something Ole Miss has navigated since Billy Napier's firing in mid-October. Kiffin has been named as a possible candidate at Florida now three times: after the 2021 season, when Napier was hired; in 2024, when Napier's time was seemingly coming to an end; and, of course, this season as soon as Napier was let go.

Former Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier coached under Lane Kiffin at Alabama while Kiffin was the offensive coordinator. | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's dominated the headlines this year so much that Kiffin reportedly addressed the position with his team shortly after Napier was fired.

Speculation has been further raised as a rumored extension at Ole Miss remains unsigned and other social media rumors run rampant about when a possible announcement of his decision could come, including a Twitter rumor that an announcement could come on Sunday.

Kiffin only added to the speculation this week when asked how he would define what makes a good head coaching job. His full two-minute response is below:

"I wasn't ready for that one. I think that's evolved and changed and there's different things. I've said to you guys a couple of years ago. People used to say, when people wanted to hire you. What questions do you have? What are your concerns? People used to say, 'Facilities. How many practice fields? Those things.

"I said, 'It's going to change. It's going to be how much NIL do you have?' When it was all collective, 'How's your collective. How's it going to run? How much do you have?' Before (revenue share), that was the salary cap. That was how much money you were going to have.

"Some people sometimes think, 'Ok, that's not a big deal,' but just look at professional sports. Baseball and the payrolls, and over time, who wins and who doesn't win? You may have outlier years once in a while.

"So, it's a little equaled out, but it's still 'How much are you giving to rev to your football program, and how much do you have collective-wise?' I think is a big question. People will talk about it's narrowed, like I heard Coach (Nick) Saban say, and some stuff has narrowed as I refer to it because you can't stockpile, you know, whatever blue bloods, or whatever you want to call or refer to it.

"But there's still things there you're going to struggle to beat those guys because kids are still recruited, and they see size of stadiums and tradition and Heismans and national championships. And then your location to talent. I think all of those are in there."

Lane Kiffin asked how he would define what makes a head coaching job good 👀

"I wasn't ready for that one." 😂

He mentions rev share/collective figures, history, tradition, Heismans, and championships pic.twitter.com/bRIVh65ZZI
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 10, 2025

How many of those traits does Ole Miss have more of than Florida, head-to-head? Stay out of this, LSU, you guys have your own issues to deal with right now...

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin made Florida's investment into football clear.

"The University of Florida has, for a long time been invested in being good at football. I don't think we've ever been as invested as we are right now," he said. "There's never been a time, as many financial resources and as much commitment has gone into making Gator football as good as it can be, whether it's elite facilities like the one standing in here now Heavener Training Complex, and strong NIL infrastructure, all the other comprehensive things we do to help our athletes, whether it's the Hawkins Center at Farrior Hall, from an academic standpoint, nutrition with the Condron Dining Center -- there's just so many things in place for this program to be successful at the highest level.

"And we're here to win championships. And I think we have a really unique opportunity for somebody to walk into."

Kiffin was also asked how important it is to him to decide his future before the transfer portal opens, a factor should Ole Miss make a run in the CFP.

"I ain't figured all that out," Kiffin said. "I'm trying to keep our winning streak and get to 8-0 at home."

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin also has personal ties to Florida. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Still, one cannot ignore the allure for Kiffin to stay at Ole Miss. That is the place that put him back to national relevance as a head coach, it's the town where his son currently shines as a high school quarterback, and he can etch himself in glory without ever winning a national title.

Yet, Florida is Florida, even at 3-6 and in danger of its fourth losing season in five years, and after ignoring Kiffin in its 2021 coaching search and choosing to keep Napier in 2024 over taking a shot at Kiffin, the Gators will swing hard at Kiffin, hoping he will be the man to bring them back to the glory days.

"I think that logo stands out. The Gator head is pretty special," Stricklin said after Napier's firing. "And a state of 22 million people, third largest state in the country, over 500,000 living alumni, a top-five public university. We've had 16 straight sell-outs, I've lost track of the number, at the Swamp.

"And the results on the field haven't been accustomed to, yet our fans, Gator Nation, keeps coming and supporting at such a high level. The facilities, the access to talent -- young people want to be at the University of Florida. This is a place that just people are drawn to."

Whether Kiffin stays at Ole Miss or chooses to jump across the SEC to Florida remains to be seen. If you ask the Ole Miss side, it's only a matter of time until he's extended. If you ask the Florida side, he could be on the next flight to Gainesville.

And while the actual game has relevance with playoff and bowl implications, it pales in comparison to Kiffin's decision.

Saturday's game between the two will be a minor footnote in a major coaching decision.

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