Lane Kiffin Sweepstakes

[Apptiger]

Traditionally speaking, both LSU and UF are better than Ole Miss. But we aren't living in a traditional time. Just look at this year, and the entire time he has been at Ole Miss, Lane has more wins than LSU or UF coaches and he is beloved. If he stays at Ole Miss, he likely gets a statute and is ultimately the winningest coach in their history. At UF and LSU, it is Natty or bust. Heck, even if you win a Natty at UF you don't get a statute. There are only 3, Spurrier, Weurfell, Tebow and they all won Heismans and a Natty (Spurrier got the Natty as a coach), there is not statute for Meyer and he isn't even liked or missed down there despite winning 2 nattys for them. Gainesville is actually a great college town but the expectation of UF fans is a tad bit unrealistic, they ran Dan Mullen out of town and he holds the third highest winning percentage of all UF coaches. He was doing really good, hit a bad 3-5 stretch and found himself out of a job. That type of stuff won't ever happen at Ole Miss, he can continue to win 10 games in a row and be the toast of the town. If I were him I would stay put.

Mullen got let go at UF because he hated recruiting and avoided it. It started to show. His best years there were his first few and with players recruited by others. The program was on a downward slide and they decided 13-10 over his last two years and 5-6 his last year was enough.
There was a lot going on with Urban behind the scenes. I won't go into details mostly because they are not public and unverified but.. Winning can compensate for a lot.

There is a lot of political type stuff at LSU but overall I think LSU would be a better job. Before Brian Kelly, the last three coaches LSU had won Natty's. Pretty sure Kiffin is a better coach than Les Miles and Orgeron. It has taken hall of fame caliber coaches to win it at Florida. He doesn't have as much in state recruiting competition in LA either.

Kiffin is young, he would have a chance to be THE legend at LSU. I think exceeding Saban would appeal to Kiffin but then again, he has matured.
Kiffin seems to like pro ball and could bolt from LSU like he has from everywhere else. He is already a "legend" in Oxford but most think he has taken them as far as anyone can.

It has been interesting to watch, we'll have news in the next week or so if the Ole Miss ultimatum story is true.

That recruiting angle was a lazy excuse in the media, go back and look at his recruiting classes (ranked 14, 9,8,12), all on par or better than with Napier (19,13,14,10) who they brought in to recruit. Also, Mullen didn't have the football center when he was recruiting and that is a huge bonus because that thing is sweet. The media created the "hates recruiting" narrative from a frustrated Mullen, when he was upset after the last Georgia loss, and someone asked him about recruiting and he flippantly said something to the effect that 'recruiting was for the off season and they were still playing football'. Kirby jumped on that, his interview followed Mullens, and said that he recruited everyday and the media ran with it and said Mullen hated recruiting, it just wasn't true. Yes, it was a down year and half (ever since the LSU shoe episode) for Mullen and people were especially upset because everyone thought he should play Richardson and he wasn't playing, he didn't play him bc despite being an awesome athlete, he just isn't that great at QB especially at that point (I think everyone has seen that to be the case). In 2020 he was 8-4,coming off an 11-2 season that they played Bama for the SEC championship, he then lost most of those guys off the team and in 2020 the transfer portal wasn't in full swing so replacing guys took longer. In 2021 he was fired at 5-6. Interesting enough, Napier's best season was 8-5 (his only winning season) in 2024 and Strickland let him stay on after that. But the fact is that Mullen is still the third winningest percentile coach in UF history and they canned him.

I know a lot of the issues with Meyer, he was a jerk and not good to anyone including large boosters, alumni, former QB club presidents, kids at his football camp (my son included in that list) the list goes on and on (among other things). Like you, I have kids that went to UF (4 have at least 1 degree from there), plus my wife, brother in law, father in law, and nephew. Being down here, I am far closer to the UF program than App State's program.

I agree that LSU is the best of the jobs, but when that Governor opens his mouth it sure doesn't make it sound like a place a top coach wants to go and deal with. I think both jobs are "better" on paper but he has it rolling at Ole Miss and quality of life has to mean something at some point. He is back with his wife, watches his son play QB for his high school on Friday nights, gets to interact with his daughter who is a junior at Ole Miss, and really avoids any major news outlets unless he wants to be on. Not sure either LSU or UF will give him the same type of quality of life and that is coming from a guy who paid UF lots of money and roots for them every weekend.

Interesting also that Kiffin has no rebuked the report of an ultimatum given to him by the AD. I first heard that as a theory from Josh Pate about what he would do if he was the Ole Miss AD. I think some irresponsible members of the media, took that idea and ran with it like it was news instead of the commentary that it was. Either way, Kiffin hasn't been given an ultimatum.

100% on Richardson, had forgotten about the recruiting smokescreen. Think they were trying to justify the downward trend.
Kiffin said today there is no ultimatum, it was fake news. Now they are calling it a "deadline" lol.

Forgot your were in west Florida, Bradenton area? I was in Lakeland for over 30 years. My youngest son has undergrad and masters from UF but has been done a long time. I'm so old my grandson's wife works at Shands now. I was never a Gator fan until I spent a lot of time up there. Son's dorm was behind the O'Connell Center across from the stadium. That and Steve Spurrier (told you it was a while back) handed my son an academic scholarship from the Gator club. I was blown away and unbelievably jealous. App didn't have all athletic scholarships fully funded and they had so much money their boosters were handing out academic scholarships. Wonder if that's still a practice or is the money is now gone to NIL?

The politics at LSU is their liability. IF you are winning it's a non factor. If you are losing, and doing Urban stuff on steroids they will fire you even if they owe 54MIL

[t4pizza]

East coast of Florida actually, Satellite Beach. It is crazy how much Lakeland has grown, 6 exits on I4 now, I remember when it was 2. The entire area between Orlando and Tampa will be a megalopolis within 40 years or less. Most in State kids that would qualify for academic scholarships get full bright future scholarships, so I doubt they have to do that anymore. They are definitely flush with cash, especially compared to App. It will be interesting to see if Kiffin stays or goes. I really wanted him 5 years ago when they hired Napier, and really thought they could get him at that time because he wasn't fully established at Ole Miss yet, now he has had 4 years of 10+ wins which is the most in their history. If he does go to UF, I will be very happy.

[rbarthle17]

The entire area between Orlando and Tampa will be a megalopolis within 40 years or less.

I'd bet it's more likely that entire area has been rebuilt 4-5 times and/or is underwater 40 years from now.

[Bootsy]

The entire area between Orlando and Tampa will be a megalopolis within 40 years or less.

I'd bet it's more likely that entire area has been rebuilt 4-5 times and/or is underwater 40 years from now.

You just couldn’t resist, could you

[Cro-Magnon App]

I coached on a football staff for quite a few years with four people who went to Furman. Talk about insufferable. And then we started whipping that purple arse on a regular basis and then I became the one that was unsufferable. What goes around ….

[t4pizza]

I coached on a football staff for quite a few years with four people who went to Furman. Talk about insufferable. And then we started whipping that purple arse on a regular basis and then I became the one that was unsufferable. What goes around ….

There is nothing insufferable about beating Furman and letting everyone in the world know it. Those are just actions of a proud Mountaineer who rightfully can't stand those purple paladins. And they still suck.

[Apptiger]

LSU wins the Kiffin Sweepstakes. Let's see if the circus can get LSU back to its former glory. The NCAA calendar messed this up for everyone. Ole Miss didn't handle it well, Kiffin didn't handle it well. I am not sure how Kiffin could have handled it better but the folks in Oxford are PISSED.

FYI, Marty Smith is on the Pat McAfee show on ESPN, he is wearing an APP State hoodie.

[appst89]

Lane is not a changed man. He’s still a weasel. And he still has never won anything. My guess is that LSU will also get the full Lane experience and regret ever dealing with him.

[ASUFan4863]

It’s funny that he is basically taking official visits to the campus and they are offering contracts, which is exactly what he will be doing to portal recruits soon. I don’t recall a situation as interesting as this where there is one known hot commodity and everyone wants him and everyone knows it.

Is he taking visits ..or his family taking visits?

Good question. It appears just his family, led by his ex-wife who is now his girlfriend.

Sounds like she entered the transfer portal and decided she had a better deal at home.

Honestly, Kiffin did kind of seem like sort of a man-child in his 30s who seems to have belatedly done some growing up. He's certainly rehabbed his reputation as a coach; maybe he did the same as a man?

I was thinking this as well until this weekend. I don’t think Kiffin deserves all of the blame, but he did not handle the situation well.

[Saint3333]

Can’t turn a hoe into a housewife comment by the Ole Miss analyst proved to be true.

Now we know why is ticked Kiffin off so much…

[Apptiger]

Is he taking visits ..or his family taking visits?

Good question. It appears just his family, led by his ex-wife who is now his girlfriend.

Sounds like she entered the transfer portal and decided she had a better deal at home.

Honestly, Kiffin did kind of seem like sort of a man-child in his 30s who seems to have belatedly done some growing up. He's certainly rehabbed his reputation as a coach; maybe he did the same as a man?

I was thinking this as well until this weekend. I don’t think Kiffin deserves all of the blame, but he did not handle the situation well.

The media were raging on Kiffin and said he should have handled it like Sumrall at Tulane who is headed to Florida. Totally different situation. Kiffin has been under the national media spotlight for 6-7 weeks with both LSU and Florida at a fever pitch. Sumrall was the consolation prize. Outside of a few calls they left him alone.

The media is slamming him for leaving at team going into the playoffs. Realistically, he wanted to stay and LSU said they would let him. The only way Ole Miss would allow it is if he signed a contract extension and didn't take another job. Tulane and Florida on the other hand have no problem with it (for now).

Kiffin was also the Jimmy Sexton flavor of the year. A nice delectable morsel, paraded around in a public spectacle Sexton uses to inflate the salaries of his client and of all coaches and thereby his own paycheck (see Lincoln Riley and Jimbo Fisher of years past).

Meanwhile Florida missed and the natives want their AD fired. He didn't help things by hiring another G5 coach from Louisiana.

Kiffin could have handled this better but part of me wonders how. He was going to LSU, it's a better job with a better recruiting ground and a higher ceiling. LSU draws 100K while Ole Miss record is 68K. LSU has multiple natty's and SEC championships. Ole Miss has as many SEC championships but none since 1963 and no natty's. Kiffin's teams were built exclusively on the transfer portal at Ole Miss. He can recruit in state at LSU and felt that wasn't sustainable long term at Ole Miss.
He could have stayed and probably had a statue in Oxford or he could move on and go for natty's.

Kiffin is highly likely to move to Alabama or the pro's if he is successful in Baton Rouge but the Tigers are happy to risk it and stomach the circus for a couple more natty's.
Sorry for the rant but I'm retired and now live in Tiger country. Yes, south Mississippi is Tiger country. Most around here are ecstatic about the hire but others (myself included) wanted to try DIllingham or Sumrall in Baton Rouge. Time will tell.
And I understand the reporter that used the Rap lyric about hoes and housewives has been fired.

[t4pizza]

I really don't know how Kiffin could have handled it any differently. He never made any untruthful comments and waited until the regular season was over before he made a decision. The only thing that he could have done differently is if he stayed, but even then, he would get killed by the media for not making that decision earlier. Kiffin wanted to coach Ole Miss in the playoffs, I think the school is making a mistake in not letting him do it. Saban did that once and it cost him another natty, this likely costs Ole Miss their best chance to compete for a Natty in the past 60 years and foreseeable future. I get why they did it, but it really is just ego. I think they should be like Tulane and North Texas and let the outgoing coach continue the season.

[appdaze]

Kiffin is a hoe.

He did it solely for personal gain and greed. He needs to stop acting like some sort of victim. This article sums up a good view point about it. When you quit a job, you dont get to hang around it for a few more months while being an employee of one of your biggest competitors. Kiffin is a female dog through and through.

I wish I could have found the tweet again where someone pointed out that Kiffin said he prayed to God and this was the direction to go. So God said F- ole miss and all those young adults that look up to you, leave their butts high and dry and throw the school under the bus on the way out while you throw a tantrum and threaten the whole coaching staff to get on the plane or lose out.

Again, Kiffin is a massive female dog.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... u-football