Lane Kiffin coaching rumors: Josh Pate warns 'do not confuse silence with inaction' for Florida

Josh Pate wouldn’t be so quick to rule out Florida in the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes. As the clock continues to tick on the coach to make a decision on where he wants to be next season, the Gators have been getting the least amount of buzz.

Instead, it’s been mostly LSU that has emerged as a top destination, with the possibility of Kiffin staying at Ole Miss also still being on the table. But Pate sent a warning not to count Florida out of the race completely.

“The one thing I’ll say about Florida is I know there only seems to be a fraction of the noise coming out of Florida that there is LSU,” he said Sunday on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “That may be because he ends up signing with LSU. I would just caution you: do not confuse silence with inaction. Sometimes there’s a lot going on behind the scenes and it’s just buttoned up pretty tight. So I don’t take the relative silence out of Gainesville compared to Baton Rouge to mean Florida’s just cooked here.

“I know a lot of the reporting is that Florida is a distant third and this and that. I still think they’ve got a shot. That’s all I’m saying. Not a leader in the clubhouse, nothing like that. I’m not making a pick, I’m just saying I still think they’re in it. I think he could stay at Ole Miss. I absolutely think he could go to LSU.”

Kiffin met Friday with Rebels athletic director Keith Carter to discuss his future with the program. After that meeting, Carter released a statement in which he said the coach would have an announcement on his future on Nov. 29 after Ole Miss plays Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

Lane Kiffin also made recent visits to both Baton Rouge and Gainesville as he weighs his decision. A recent report from CBS Sports claimed that LSU was in the lead while Ole Miss was second and Florida third.

Pate made clear that he wasn’t making a declaration on a winner with his statement. He just thinks that realisitcally, it could be any of the three options still at this point.

“I have no idea where he’s going,” the college football analyst said. “Apparently, some people do think they know where he’s going. Here’s what I do think: I think you’ve heard indications that make you strongly believe you know where he’s going. There are very, very strong indications to make you think he’s going to LSU. I know what you’re talking about. I am not ready to say that.

“There are some people who would think, ‘Hey, man, read the tea leaves. Have you heard this about Florida? Have you heard that about Florida?’ Yeah, I have. I am not ready to say that.”