Sports

Florida Football Coaching Search Cancellation Fuels Speculation After Lane Kiffin’s Tense Teleconference

#Lane Kiffin
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Florida football coaching search turns to Jon Sumrall after Lane Kiffin

iStockphoto / © Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / © Stephen Lew-Imagn Images


Lane Kiffin again chose not to speak on the rumors surrounding his future with Ole Miss football during his most recent SEC teleconference, meaning he again refused to deny interest in a jump to either Florida or LSU.

The head coach continues to play the situation close to the vest as speculation swirls. A recent update in the Gators‘ search for Billy Napier’s replacement on further fanned the flames.

Florida paid Napier more than $20 million to stop coaching in Gainesville. Across 3+ seasons, he posted a 22-23 overall record.

Kiffin has been targeted as a potential successor. Whispers of a move to the Sunshine State have grown louder as the college football season winds down.

The coach currently has Ole Miss in the playoff hunt. A win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl will solidify that standing.

The Rebels picked up a win over the Gators in Oxford last Saturday, getting one step closer to that postseason appearance. Kiffin’s family was in Gainesville the very next day.

Will Lane Kiffin be the next Florida football coach?

We still don’t know. The Ole Miss leader has been mum on the subject as he pursues a national title. He will not speak on other openings.

He’s been asked ad nauseam about a move to Gainesville in recent weeks. He refuses to either confirm or deny the possibility.

Kiffin had another opportunity to quiet the noise at the weekly SEC teleconference. He would not budge on his stance.

Kiffin was asked on numerous occasions about leaving Ole Miss. “I’m not speaking on other jobs,” he said. “I’m focused on this one.”

The coach continues to be annoyed by the media pestering. His current focus is on the Rebels’ postseason pursuits. He does not want the off-field drama to become a distraction.

Despite that desire, it continues to be just that. His decision to keep the door open on moving to an SEC rival is the only thing being discussed during his Egg Bowl preparations.

Reports suggest that Ole Miss is preparing for a potential departure by doing due diligence on replacement candidates. There were also rumors of an ultimatum given by the school, though the coach did his best to shoot them down.

“That’s absolutely not true. There’s been no ultimatum. I don’t know where that came from… We’re having a blast. I love it here.”

-Lane Kiffin via the Pat McAfee Show

While the Gators swing for the fences with Kiffin, they’ve also continued to weigh other options. Florida is vetting a number of candidates, including Jon Sumrall per recent reports.

Jon Sumrall rejects the Gators.

Sumrall has led Tulane to 17 wins in 24 tries across two seasons. Those have come following a successful stint at Troy. It was believed that he’d been set to meet with Florida administration on Thursday.

Those claims have now been proven false.

Sumrall shot down the suspected meeting with Gators in the hours that followed the initial report. He was in New Orleans with his team on Wednesday night.

He doubled down on that outlook Thursday. He is not in Gainesville.

There is some debate as to whether that meeting was cancelled, by either party. Did Sumrall pull his name out of the hat? Does Florida have knowledge of Lane Kiffin’s pending decision? Was the meeting ever truly on the books?

The rumored cancellation only fueled the narrative surrounding Kiffin and Florida. Many seem to believe the Gators have missed on their top target as they put Sumrall in their crosshairs.

It’s worth noting that Kiffin is now considered the favorite to land the LSU job. He’s having fun with that rumor mill, too.

The mystery surrounding both searches remains just that. Not much is known, though the most recent update in Gainesville might be a positive sign for Ole Miss.