Outspoken college football coach linked to Florida job after firing of Billy Napier

With the curtain closing on the Billy Napier era at Florida, speculation moves to the question of his replacement. The Gators are already being linked to a number of prominent coaches, but one of the more polarizing options out there is Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin's oversized personality, productive offenses, and his ability to win are all believed to be attractive to Florida.

The 50-year old Kiffin has rarely failed to generate controversy. In a sport of oversized personalities, Kiffin has always managed to stand out. Early detractors questioned his actual coaching accumen and noted his history of job jumping. But in his sixth year at Ole Miss, Kiffin seems to have matured and grown into one of the most attractive coaching candidates in the nation.

Kiffin's History

Kiffin is the son of legendary NFL defensive genius Monte Kiffin. He rose to prominence as a coach at USC, rising to offensive coordinator before he headed to the NFL's Oakland Raiders. A 5-15 run with the Raiders didn't enhance things, but Kiffin was then hired at Tennessee. Kiffin won more headlines than games with a 7-6 season, and then became a UT villain when he jumped ship to take the USC head coaching job. A 28-15 run at USC saw Kiffin fired there.

He rehabilitated his image in a stint under Nick Saban at Alabama and then return to head coaching at Florida Atlantic in 2017, with a 26-13 run in three seasons. Ole Miss then hired Kiffin, who is 50-19 in his tenure there.

Kiffin has posted three 10+ win seasons and posted three top 15 seasons in his first five years with the Rebels. To put that in perspective, before Kiffin, Ole Miss had posted just three total 10 win seasons since 1962.

Kiffin's Status

Lane Kiffin's Rebel teams have failed to reach the CFP, but have otherwise been tremendously successful. His high-scoring offenses always draw attention. In 2025, Ole Miss currently stands eighth nationally in yardage (491.9 yards per game) and 16th in scoring offense (37.4 points per game). Ole Miss is eighth nationally in passing yardage (304.1 ypg) and despite a Week 8 loss to Georgia, stands in solid position for a 2025 CFP run.

Kiffin has no direct ties to Florida, but he did coach those three seasons at Florida Atlantic and had an early season shortly after college with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's obviously very familiar with the SEC, having been a head coach at Ole Miss and Tennessee and an assistant at Alabama. Of course, particularly if Ole Miss does make the CFP, Florida might have to wait well into the winter to make a move on Kiffin.