Paul Finebaum: Florida is the better move for Lane Kiffin than LSU
Paul Finebaum believes the Florida job makes more sense for Lane Kiffin than LSU, especially if the Ole Miss head coach decides to move on after the Egg Bowl. Most national voices view LSU as the favorite, with Florida sitting third behind the Tigers and Rebels. Finebaum, however, isn’t buying that.
During The Matt Barrie Show, Finebaum said Florida’s struggles actually make the job more attractive for a coach like Kiffin. He argued that LSU pushed out a proven coach in Brian Kelly, while Billy Napier’s run in Gainesville simply didn’t work out. In his eyes, Florida offers a cleaner restart.
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“The conventional wisdom as of Sunday morning is LSU. I will disagree,” Finebaum said. “I think Florida right now is riper. The fact that Florida looked so bad last night makes that job a little bit easier than LSU. Kelly was good, maybe not great, but LSU had everything on its shelf this year to win a title. They just couldn’t get it done. So, I would gravitate toward Florida a little bit.”
Finebaum also said this decision may depend more on Kiffin’s family than Kiffin himself. He pointed to Layla Kiffin’s recent visit to Gainesville and her family’s history at Florida, saying that her opinion could be the biggest factor.
“This is a family decision; it isn’t a Lane Kiffin decision,” Finebaum said. “That’s why it was important for Layla Kiffin to go to Florida, where her father played, and where there are some roots.”
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Finebaum added that Ole Miss may no longer be the stepping-stone job it once was, but the question is whether Kiffin sees his long-term future there.
With his son Knox entering his junior year next season and multiple major jobs open, the next week could determine where the Kiffin family lands and whether Florida becomes the spot that wins out.
Talk about it with our premium members in the Swamp Talk message board, here.
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