Skip to main content
Join Now
Get a profile. Be recruited.

Billy Gonzales addresses facing Lane Kiffin as rumors link him to Florida

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh5 hours agogriffin_mcveigh
Untitled design - 2025-10-28T224809.823
Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Billy Gonzales might be the interim head coach but Florida fans already know who they want to get the full-time gig. Lane Kiffin is the most popular man in Gainesville. He now welcomes the Gators to town with Ole Miss on Saturday, creating an interesting dynamic for everyone involved.

In what could be a distraction for both teams, Gonzales has not directly addressed the topic inside the locker room. His message appears to be quite consistent, despite knowing about the outside chatter.

“I have not mentioned it to our staff,” Gonzales said. “I have not mentioned it to our players. Do I read it and am I aware of it? Absolutely. But we’ve got to prepare. And I keep saying this but we’ve got to take care of ourselves, we’ve got to continue to take care and persist.”

Florida is not the only SEC school likely coming after Kiffin. Everyone expects the LSU Tigers to make a run at him as well. At the same time, Kiffin holds a 9-1 record and has Ole Miss in an incredible position to make the College Football Playoff. Even a spot in the SEC Championship game remains an option for the Rebels.

Gonzales sees plenty of opportunity for Florida, just not at the same level. Winning out gets the Gators to 6-6 on the regular season and into a bowl game. Win that and it’s an overall winning season, record-wise.

“We’ve got a chance to finish with a winning season,” Gonzales said. “I think that’s what one people forget outside the building. We have a chance to control that, we control our own destiny. So, we can’t afford to change the course — we’ve got to continue to stay the course. Coaching staff, we’ve got to continue to stay the course and not change either and help our players be successful.”

Getting back to .500 will be no easy task. After Ole Miss, two big rivalry games take place for Florida. Both Tennessee and Florida State come to the Swamp, bringing interesting dynamics for different reasons. Gonzales, at least in the short term, has made the team’s goal incredibly clear.

Long term, anything is on the table and in the hands of UF athletic director Scott Stricklin. Or maybe Kiffin holds all the power, deciding if he wants to be at Florida (or LSU) instead of Ole Miss for the 2026 season and beyond.