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The Lane Kiffin Coaching Carousel is Back in Full Swing

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This offseason is going to be an absolute whirlwind of a coaching carousel. Already, we’ve seen numerous high-profile jobs come open. Among those are Florida, LSU, and Penn State. And there’s a decent chance that we get a few more openings before all is said and done. Florida State, Auburn, and Wisconsin are jobs that could see coaching changes, depending on how the season ends. But one thing is certain. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is at the top of just about every school’s coaching search.

This certainly isn’t the first time Kiffin has seen his name come up for similar jobs. And it’s not the first time Ole Miss fans are having to go through the roller coaster that the next few weeks are guaranteed to be.

So the next question is, can the Rebels find a way to persuade Kiffin to stay in Oxford? Or after six seasons leading the Rebels, will Kiffin find himself being pulled in another direction?

Do We Know Which Way Kiffin is Leaning?

In short, no. Only Kiffin himself knows where his heart lies and which way he’s leaning. But we do know a few of the pros and cons of each opening. So let’s dive a little deeper into the three primary options he’s having to weigh.

The Florida Opening

As for the program, this one speaks for itself. We know the brand, we know about “The Swamp”, and there’s no denying the money and resources that Florida has. But that hasn’t been enough for the past four Gator coaches. They had a ton of success with Steve Spurrier and then Urban Meyer, but since then, it’s a program that has struggled a bit. At least compared to expectations. So while the ceiling at Florida is national championships, the expectations make anything less essentially a fireable offense. That’s a massive standard to have to live up to. There are also questions about the internal doings within the athletic department. For many, going to a school that seems to have internal problems within its program would be tough to sign up for.

For Kiffin himself, though, there may be another draw to the Florida opening. That would be family ties to Gainesville and the university. The town of Gainesville is where he met his ex-wife, and the mother, Layla, who graduated from Florida. Despite the divorce, the two have recently reconciled. Given the circumstances, that’s the type of nostalgia that would stay on the mind of just about anyone.

The Gator brand would already be an attractive option, but with the family ties, it becomes much more. Whether or not he ends up at Florida, we may not know. But there’s no question the Gators are a serious candidate to sway him away from Oxford.

LSU: The Newest Vacancy

The LSU Tigers have the newest coaching vacancy after firing Brian Kelly. Naturally, Kiffin’s name has emerged as a leading candidate for the job. But does LSU have a serious chance to bring Kiffin in as its newest coach? The answer: absolutely.

Similar to Florida, the Tigers are a huge brand in college football. It’s almost universally agreed upon that it’s one of the best jobs in the country. In terms of resources and money, they have all that one could need to be successful. Death Valley is one of, if not the best, atmospheres in all of college football. And they have a history of success, even recently, with their most recent title coming in 2019.

But the cons are also similar to what is seen at Florida. The expectations are almost impossible to meet. They expect 10 or 11-win seasons every year. In today’s college football, that’s largely not something many people can make happen. If you fail to reach 10 wins for more than one year, you may find yourself on the hot seat.

In Baton Rouge, the reward can be huge. But the risk is also massive. Only Kiffin knows whether he wants to leave a place where he has almost eternal job security to move to a program where no such thing exists.

Staying at Ole Miss is Still Very Much at Play

The other option for Kiffin is to decide to stay at Ole Miss. In the days of NIL, the Rebels certainly have plenty of money and resources. However, objectively, it isn’t to the same degree of Florida or LSU. But he has shown that you can win in Oxford. Two years ago, he led Ole Miss to its first 11-win season in school history. Last year, they were close, yet disastrous games against Kentucky and then Florida, away from a playoff berth. Ultimately finishing the regular season at 9-3. This year, they sit at 7-1. And with a favorable schedule the rest of the way, they’re in a good spot to finally achieve that playoff berth. Especially if quarterback Trinidad Chambliss continues to play at a high level.

The other side of this is the expectations. At Ole Miss, he’s an icon. And there aren’t tremendously high expectations. If he can lead the Rebels to the playoff this year and continue to win nine or 10 games most seasons, he becomes a legend, not only at Ole Miss but also in the state of Mississippi.

Then there’s the family aspect. Not only has he built the Rebel program back up to where it is today, but his family has played a huge role in that. His daughter, Landry, is currently a student at Ole Miss. His son, Knox, moved to Oxford from California this Summer and is now the starting quarterback at Oxford High School. And his ex-wife, whom he has since reconciled with, also has a home in Oxford, as well. So, taking another job would likely also be uprooting his family once again. Does that ultimately play a role in the decision? Maybe, maybe not.

The Ultimate Decision For Kiffin

As mentioned earlier, no one really knows which way Kiffin is leaning. However, he is on record as saying money isn’t going to be a determining factor in the decision. If that’s true, it could end with him staying in Oxford, largely due to what he’s built at Ole Miss.

The family side will likely play a part, though. Three years ago, Kiffin was almost certainly set to take the Auburn job. That was until Landry talked him out of it. Could we see a similar situation this time around? Potentially. Or does Kiffin decide that one of these openings is simply too big a gig to pass up on?

Regardless of the end result of this coaching carousel, no one is really sure which way he’s leaning. But one thing is almost guaranteed: one of the jobs can be Kiffin’s, if he wants it. Ultimately, he’s the only one who can make that decision.

Main Image: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The post The Lane Kiffin Coaching Carousel is Back in Full Swing appeared first on Last Word on College Football.