LSU Tigers firing Brian Kelly could have a disastrous impact on the Florida Gators finding their next head coach

This could be a huge deal in the college football world.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly and Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier greet after the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The head coaching carousel for after the 2025 season will be a fascinating one, and it just got more difficult on Sunday night when the LSU Tigers fired head coach Brian Kelly.

It felt inevitable on many fronts for the Tigers, as Kelly couldn’t get over the hump. This felt like the year to get things right, especially with Garrett Nussmeier returning instead of entering the NFL Draft. Things spiraled out of control after the second half collapse against the Texas A&M Aggies, 49-25.

With Kelly losing his job during the season, the teams in need of a new head coach continue to grow.

LSU could make Florida’s head coach search more difficult

There are a lot of jobs open, but there wasn’t a more high-profile job open than the Florida Gators before Kelly was let go by LSU. The Gators let go of Billy Napier one week prior to Kelly losing his job, making theirs the best opening, with the only other one of consequence being the Penn State Nittany Lions.

For the Gators, the No. 1 candidate is Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, and it hasn’t been close among the fanbase and analysts alike. He has a special relationship with the University of Florida.

“Kiffin really idolizes Gators’ former legendary coach Steve Spurrier,” said ESPN’s Molly McGrath on SportsCenter this past Friday. “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.”

If Kiffin chooses to take the Gators’ head coaching job, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise. However, where things can get really complicated is if Kiffin decides to stay at Ole Miss, which is a real possibility.

The Gators having to battle against the Tigers is a nightmare situation. You can make a strong, cohesive argument that heading to Baton Rouge is a better job than heading to Gainesville, and having to fight for the same tier of head coach could be disastrous for one or both schools. They went against each other in the coaching cycle after the 2021 season, and neither team won with Napier and Kelly.

The Gators need to figure out who their guy is, and they likely already have in Kiffin. However, things could get rough if they can’t get their guy.

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