The Ole Miss Rebels are fighting off interest from the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators in head coach Lane Kiffin. While the ongoing situation in Louisiane might murky the waters in the program’s efforts to poach Kiffin from Mississippi, there’s another program to watch.
According to ESPN‘s Adam Rittenberg, Kiffin is expected to be very high on the wish list for a potential Florida State Seminoles coaching search this offseason.
Related: College Football Coaching Carousel Predictions, including Lane Kiffin
- Lane Kiffin coaching record: 113-53 overall, 51-19 with Ole Miss Rebels
Florida State athletic director Michael Alford announced on Oct. 20 that the program would perform a “comprehensive review of the football program” at the conclusion of the season. Until then, head coach Mike Norvell wasn’t in danger of being fired.
Before Norvell’s hiring, the Seminoles had just one four-game losing streak (1975) in nearly three decades. However, after posting a combined 23-4 record in his first two seasons, Florida State now has four separate four-game losing streaks under Norvell in the last two seasons.
Related: Florida State Coaching Candidates to Replace Mike Norvell
However, Florida State faces one major hurdle in any effort to hire Kiffin. One of the primary reasons there isn’t an ongoing Seminoles coaching search is because the school currently doesn’t have the money to pay Norvell’s $50-plus million buyout. Including the costs of hiring Kiffin and bringing in a new coaching staff, Florida State would need massive support from donors to pull off the move, and even then it would likely still be a less-preferred job than Florida.
Realistically, given the Seminoles’ funding situation, there’s a greater likelihood of the team having to move on from the top of its wishlist and instead focusing on more realistic targets. Furthermore, the program’s decision to not make any decision on Norvell until the end of the season puts Florida and LSU at a massive advantage.
So, while Kiffin might be atop the target list for a Seminoles coaching search, the program seems to be a minimal threat to Ole Miss. If the Rebels are going to lose their top football coach, it will likely be to the Gators.
