Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin Comments on the Florida Gators Job, Recent Reports

Kiffin remains mum surrounding the opening in Gainesville, Ole Miss decision-maker a top candidate for the gig.

Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during the fourth quarter against the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is out as the program's decision-maker after being relieved of his duties in Gainesville on Sunday afternoon.

After a four-year stint in the Sunshine State where Napier compiled a 22-23 record with the Gators, the administration has come to a decision to part ways.

"[Sunday] I met with Coach Napier and informed him that a change in leadership of our football program would best serve the interests of the University of Florida," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement. 

"On behalf of Gator Nation, I want to sincerely thank Billy and his family for their tireless commitment to the Florida Gators. Billy built a tremendous culture of accountability and growth among the young men he led each day. His organized and detailed approach had a meaningful impact across all levels of our program.

"As Coach Napier has often said, this is a results-driven business, and while his influence was positive, it ultimately did not translate into the level of success we expect on the field."

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks with Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now, the rumor mill has begun swirling surrounding which head coach will take on the challenge of turning the Florida Gators program around next.

The one name in headlines as a top candidate: Ole Miss Rebels' Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin has been a name that has circulated as a contender for weeks, and with Napier officially out in Gainesville, the conversation has heated up even more.

Last week, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter stated that the program is eyeing a new deal with Kiffin - as Indiana did with Curt Cignetti - where they are proactively working towards getting the framework together.

NEW: Ole Miss AD Keith Carter tells @OMSpiritOn3 he's working on a new contract for Lane Kiffin.

“I’d love to get something done like Indiana did with Curt Cignetti before the silly season starts. We’ll see.”

Intel: https://t.co/yhYGFrp5zD pic.twitter.com/ej4kXQya9y

— On3 (@On3sports) October 17, 2025

On Sunday, Kiffin addressed local reporters in Oxford for his weekly Zoom press conference where he commented on the recent reports and buzz surrounding the Florida opening.

“That’s awesome that [AD Keith Carter] said those things, and I don’t take that for granted,” Kiffin said. “Extremely appreciative of how everyone’s been here. Keith, the chancellor, everybody. So, (I’m) flattered that that would even be being discussed halfway through the season. But I don’t deal with that.

“We’ve got a lot to do, obviously, with a top-15 matchup and back-to-back road games. And, you guys have done this for years with me. So, I think it just speaks a lot to — that we’re mentioned (with) these other things a lot — to where our program’s come and our players and our coaches, and really take those things as compliment. So they’re here again, I guess, and we have to stay focused and worry about this season.”

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

For Kiffin, he's remaining mum surrounding the coaching carousel with the outside chatter remaining just that - outside.

“We don’t really talk about it,” Kiffin said about learning from past coaching cycles. “I know that’s your guys’ job to bring it up and all that. We don’t really talk about it. Like, if we’re around there you wouldn’t know any different or anything.

"We just stay in the work, stay in the moments, stay in the day. And really, that stuff has nothing to do with what we’re doing. …I think it’s a compliment to the amount of games we’ve been able to win here.”

No. 8 Ole Miss will return to action on Saturday in Norman (Okla.) for a Top-25 SEC matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners with kickoff set for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.

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