Lane Kiffin Weighed Florida Move After 34-26 Ole Miss Win as LSU Joined Pursuit
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Sep 17
Lane Kiffin Weighed Florida Move After 34-26 Ole Miss Win as LSU Joined Pursuit
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Sep 17
Summary
Moments after Ole Miss’s 34-26 win at No. 13 Oklahoma, Lane Kiffin asked defensive coordinator Pete Golding, “Are you ready to go to Gainesville?” — a sign he was seriously considering Florida.
Kiffin’s interest grew from doubts about Ole Miss’s long-term ceiling, with concerns over NIL and revenue-sharing resources, a smaller booster base and a 64,038-seat stadium he felt could not match Florida’s scale.
That came even as a 7-1 start and a manageable closing schedule appeared to put Ole Miss on track for its first College Football Playoff berth, which many assumed would keep him in Oxford.
Less than 24 hours later, LSU’s pursuit intensified as Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry pushed for a coaching change after Brian Kelly’s exit and backed spending whatever it took to land Kiffin.
The result was a three-way SEC fight — Florida, LSU and Ole Miss — that underscored how Kiffin’s leverage had surged despite once being viewed as a risky hire.