Florida Gators Next Head Coach Odds: Lane Kiffin Surging As Favorite For The Job

The Ole Miss Rebels return to action on Saturday night in Oxford for an SEC matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks, but Lane Kiffin and Co. remain in headlines for other reasons.

As the coaching carousel heats up across college football, Kiffin's name remains the hottest on the market with programs across America set to roll out the red carpet.

The LSU Tigers and Florida Gators are the pair of schools that have been labeled as "programs to watch" in the Kiffin sweepstakes with ESPN's Pete Thamel calling this year's coaching carousel "The Lane Kiffin Show."

“Well, it’s going to be The Lane Kiffin Show from here on in until a decision is made,” said Thamel. “He’s a target at LSU. He’s a target at Florida. And, the competition between those two athletic departments for Lane Kiffin is going to be one of the things that hangs over the rest of this season.”

“A fascinating wrinkle to all this, of course, is that Ole Miss is headed to the playoff. They have a high percentage chance of going there, especially after beating Oklahoma on Saturday on the road like they did,” added Thamel.

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Lane Kiffin. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

“The regular season in college football ends in late November. The playoff starts on December 19th. It is going to be a high-wire act. It is possible, but, if you are a playoff coach and you are going to take a job? It is going to be a high-wire act to do that, especially if you win games in the playoff and it extends.

"How that unfolds will be a fascinating facet of this playoff, for coaches like Lane Kiffin, maybe Brent Key, maybe Jon Sumrall or Alex Golesh. The timing does not line up for an easy transition.”

Now, the betting odds have been updated with Kiffin coming in as the favorite to land the Florida Gators gig.

Updated betting favorites for every P4 opening via @Kalshi 10/31:

LSU: Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri HC)

Florida: Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss HC)

Penn State: Jeff Brohm (Louisville HC)

Virginia Tech: James Franklin (Former Penn State HC)

Arkansas: Rhett Lashlee (SMU HC)

Oklahoma State:… https://t.co/Y8bjHRSL9z
— Max Chadwick (@CFBMaxChadwick) October 31, 2025

Kiffin comes in as the favorite to land the gig, but multiple college football analysts believe the Florida Gators should go in a different direction.

"Nothing has worked at Florida since Urban Meyer’s reign, and it’s tried every model: the successful G5 coach (Napier, Jim McElwain), the established P4 coach (Dan Mullen), the hot assistant (Will Muschamp)," The Athletic's Joe Rexrode wrote on Wednesday. "After Napier, it’s time to look a level higher and pluck a guy who has done tremendous things at Missouri.

"If you’re Drinkwitz, you’re looking at a place that finally seems to have figured out what a coach needs to return to winning national championships. This won’t thrill Florida fans, but they’ll already be mad about losing Kiffin to LSU anyway."

As the coaching carousel heats up, the primary focus will remain on Kiffin as he generates significant interest from both the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers.

More Ole Miss News:

National Analyst Believes Miami Dolphins Should Hire Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss Football Great Doubles Down on Lane Kiffin to Florida Gators 'Not Happening'

Tony Vitello Pokes Fun at Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin in Goodbye to Tennessee

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.