Lane Kiffin’s one reason he likely prefers Florida over LSU is exactly what Gators fans already think it is

It makes all the sense in the world.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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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

The head coaching carousel this year will be a wild one, and it got even more so on Sunday night when the LSU Tigers decided to move on from head coach Brian Kelly after a brutal 49-25 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies.

It was a move many saw coming, and it wouldn’t have surprised anyone when LSU’s leadership pulled the trigger. He struggled massively in big games and couldn’t make the College Football Playoff, something that won’t fly in Baton Rouge, despite an overall record of 34-14.

With Kelly out in Baton Rouge, it creates another head coaching vacancy with some serious cache, joining the Florida Gators and Penn State Nittany Lions, with the former being their biggest competition.

Brian Kelly Coaching Resume

  • Been a head coach since 1991, when he took over at Division II’s Grand Valley State
  • Spent 12 seasons as the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before taking the LSU Tigers head coaching job
  • Across his 35 years as a head coach, Kelly has compiled a record of 297-109-2, including two Division II National Championships in 2002 and 2003

Lane Kiffin will prioritize Florida for one reason

The No. 1 candidate that both teams will likely prioritize is Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin. He is at the top of the list already for the Gators, and rumors have been swirling in a big way. They didn’t have anyone to compete with for Kiffin until the Tigers chose to move on from Kelly.

You can make a strong argument that the LSU job is better than the Florida job when you consider recruiting, recent success, and the infrastructure of the program. In a vacuum, Kiffin would be foolish not to take the Tigers seriously.

However, there is one major element at play that separates the two: Kiffin has a special relationship with the university and the state of Florida as a whole.

Kiffin has already been up front about his love for the Head Ball Coach Steve Spurrier and has a special connection with the university. ESPN’s Molly McGrath revealed why during a SportsCenter appearance on Friday.

“He told me, ‘I’m never going to make decisions based on money. I’m going to make decisions based on everyday happiness.’ And you can tell he’s really trying to prioritize his family and his kids in this one,” said McGrath. “But I will say, Kiffin really idolizes Gators’ former legendary coach Steve Spurrier, and when I covered Ole Miss’ game at Florida last year, Kiffin pulled me aside and said, ‘This is a really special place for me and for my family. It’s where he had his first date with his children’s mother.’ So this is a nostalgic place for the Kiffin family, so perhaps that will play a role into it.”

How McGrath lays this out is an important factor in the entire discussion. It’s not about money or chasing another job; it’s about happiness. The fact that he had his first date at The Swamp with the mother of his children means something more than just prestige and a full bank account.

The Gators shouldn’t have to worry about the Tigers taking Kiffin, and it makes complete sense why.

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