A New Rival? Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin Gives Thoughts On Florida's Billy Napier
Lane Kiffin is creating his own "rivalry" with former coaches he's worked with in the Southeastern Conference. If he looks to be the next Nick Saban, might as well target a coach he's worked with under the seven-time national champion's regime.
One could argue that Georgia's Kirby Smart would be a great "villain" in the SEC for Kiffin as the two served on the opposite spectrums of the ball during the team's title runs in 2014-15. Kiffin, however, is going in a different direction, turning his sights on reconnecting with new Florida coach Billy Napier.
During the SEC meetings in Destin, Fla. last month, the Ole Miss coach gave Napier his seal of approval to take over the Gators this fall, stating he thinks the former Louisiana coach will "do really well" calling the plays in Gainesville. Napier served as Alabama's receivers coach while Kiffin was the offensive coordinator.
“Really smart,” Kiffin said of the Gators' first-year coach. “Organized. Super detailed and a great recruiter, too.”
Kiffin and Napier have a second connection outside of working on offense in Tuscaloosa, Ala. As one of Alabama's top recruiters, Napier's job was to add offensive pieces to the Crimson Tide's arsenal. Some of the names he's credited for bringing in include receivers Jerry Jeudy and Calvin Ridley, both of whom would blossom into future first-round picks.
A main reason that Florida was searching for a new coach was due to Dan Mullen's comments on recruiting. The Gators struggled bringing in high-end classes each season under the former Mississippi State coach despite being one of the top programs in the conference. Mullen would go 34-15 during his four seasons in Gainesville before being fired prior to the season finale.
Kiffin believes that Napier's demeanor with families and skill building should help him transition from coaching in Lafayette to building a stable culture in the SEC.
“Relationships,” Kiffin said. “Just spending a ton of time with the kids, the coaches, the family members. Just really, really poured in them and did a great job.”
Napier was hired from Louisiana after four seasons. He posted a 40-12 record during his time, leading the Ragin Cajuns to three 10-plus win seasons and a pair of Sun Belt Conference titles.
Much like Kiffin, Napier credits much of his coaching success past his time in Alabama to Saban, stating how the structure of the program is the biggest selling point.
“I certainly wouldn’t be standing here without him,” Napier said.
The Rebels are coming off their first 10-win regular season in program history and a top 15 ranking in the AP. In two years at Ole Miss Kiffin has posted a 15-8 overall record.
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