Billy Napier firing: Josh Pate reacts to dismissal, potential Lane Kiffin courtship
With the news Sunday that Florida made the decision to part ways with Billy Napier, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is a popular rumored candidate. College football analyst Josh Pate addressed the topic on Sunday’s episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show to give his opinion.
He believes that the interest would surely be there for the Gators. But the better question would be whether Kiffin would be willing to listen.
“I think their search begins and ends with Lane Kiffin,” he said. “I said that earlier today. I don’t think that’s breaking news. I think that’s being widely speculated, if not outright reported. I had some people come at me and say, ‘Why would Lane leave Ole Miss?’ I don’t know that he will. They continued, ‘Who says Florida’s a better job than Ole Miss?’ Well, I would say it’s a better job than Ole Miss, but I wouldn’t say it’s a slam dunk.
“What else I’ve learned just kind of getting closer to coaching searches and knowing some guys is: which job is better is conditional to which guy you’re talking to. There’s a type of person who would only coach in the Big Ten. So to them, the Wisconsin job would be more desirable than the Florida job. To you and I, just generic onlookers, we think that’s insane. But that’s because our priority may be different than that person. …Does Lane look at Florida the same way a normal person looks at Florida juxtaposed to Ole Miss? A normal person would say the Florida job is better than the Ole Miss job. Does Lane Kiffin think that?”
Kiffin has been the head coach at Ole Miss since the 2020 season. He’s enjoyed plenty of success since then, leading the Rebels to a 50-19 overall record and never finishing below the .500 mark in any season.
Top 10
- 1New
Bowl Projections
Full list of matchups
- 2
Top Target: Kiffin
Why UF should pursue Ole Miss HC
- 3Hot
Coaching Carousel
Hot seat intel
- 4Trending
Shane Beamer
Denies Hokies rumors
- 5
AP Poll
Massive shakeup in Top 25
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
The coach was also a candidate for the Auburn opening following the firing of Bryan Harsin in 2022. Kiffin nearly took it before being persuaded by his daughter, Landry, to stay in Oxford with the life he had built for his family.
He has previously spoken about how he feels at home at Ole Miss, which is the fourth stop in a head coaching journey that has come with plenty of ups and downs. But perhaps the prestige of Florida would be too much to turn down for Lane Kiffin.
“He happens to have the Ole Miss job right now and is doing very good at Ole Miss and has been very, very vocal lately about feeling woven into the fabric of Oxford, Mississippi,” Pate said. “I’d take him serious until proven otherwise. I said last year that if that job came open, I thought Lane would crawl over broken glass to get it. I did feel that last year. I don’t feel that as strongly this year. Although, I would still make him the favorite to be offered and accept the Florida job. But by no means do I think that’s a slam dunk.
“I haven’t asked Lane because I don’t ask guys about job-related things during the season, but I’ve asked around just to kind of gauge the temperature. I’ve asked a lot of agents about this. I asked them, ‘Do you think in his heart of hearts, he 100% has an answer to that question right now?’ Some of them have said yes, others have said no. So it’s very much a wait-and-see. But I think that’s a Lane Kiffin job. Don’t overthink the rumor on that. Then if he says no, you adjust.”