Florida Gators misses with their big swing on Lane Kiffin, but a new candidate has emerged in a big way
Lane Kiffin might not be the next head coach of the Florida Gators, but there are still impressive candidates out there.
The Florida Gators began their search for a head coach on October 19th when they decided to fire Billy Napier. Within minutes, there were rumors about Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin being the top candidate for the job. It turns out all of the smoke surrounding Kiffin was just that, as he will not be the next head coach of the Gators, and has narrowed his choices down to Ole Miss and the LSU Tigers.
Lane Kiffin won’t be the Gators’ next head coach
It was the dream hire for many a Gators fan. They yearn for the days of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, something that Kiffin resembles to a T.
“I was like, I want to be Steve Spurrier,” said Kiffin. “When I watched him and his offenses and the visor and kind of the way he would throw jabs at other coaches and teams, I was like, ‘Steve Spurrier is the man.’ That’s what I want to be. That’s where I started the visor thing, and probably started some of the comments, maybe of other programs too, yes.”
Ultimately, that didn’t end up happening, as Kiffin decided to choose a different path. It apparently boiled down to poor communication, and that was a big factor in the Gators’ choosing to move on.
“In recent days, sources said Kiffin’s erratic communication and behavior has led Florida to think he may be more interested in his other options. Sources added that UF does not think Kiffin is coming to Gainesville and gets the sense that he’s going to do something else. ‘We’ve not just been sitting around waiting on Lane,’ a program source said.”
Where do the Gators go from here? James Franklin was hired by the Virginia Tech Hokies, and multiple high-profile candidates are signing extensions, including Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, and Texas A&M’s Mike Elko. The most likely candidates are Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, who himself is rumored to be signing an extension soon, as did Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz.
The top candidate emerging is Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall. He’s been an elite coach at the G5 level over the last four years, including four-consecutive bowl game appearances at Tulane and Troy. Yes, he’s a G-5 hire like Napier was, but the Gators had incredible success when they hired Utah’s Urban Meyer. Sumrall has a great track record of success, and it could translate to Gainesville.
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