Sports

Lane Kiffin Stirs Pot With Calculated Smokescreen Using Billy Napier’s Imminent Firing At Florida

#College Football
by

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


Lane Kiffin is the head football coach at the University of Mississippi. Some believe he’ll move onto an SEC rival in the very near future.

The Florida Gators could soon be looking for a new leader. Kiffin’s supposedly cryptic insinuation about Billy Napier’s inevitable firing ignited a firestorm of reaction on social media.

Kiffin is considered one of the top offensive minds in college football. He’s shown sustained success with the Rebels, posting three 10-win seasons over the last four years.

Most believe he enjoys coaching in Oxford. His family is there. He’s been able to rebuild his image in the SEC with a second chance. He seems to be there for the long haul.

His history of job-hopping leads some to doubt, though. He’s been linked to a conference rival that’s potentially moving away from its current head coach.

Lane Kiffin to Florida?

He is at the top of every list of desired replacements for Billy Napier. Would he leave Ole Miss? That could be wishful thinking.

The Gators have been stuck in the mud over the last decade-plus. They could be searching for a fifth coach in 15 years this coming offseason.

Ole Miss is a better job right now. There is less pressure to win, yet a path to the College Football Playoff each season. Florida, meanwhile, demands immediate success, which it hasn’t gotten in some time.

Napier has struggled since being hired in 2022, going 20-21 in Gainesville. A 1-2 start to the ’25 campaign has the heat on his seat cranked to ten.

He is unlikely to survive the length of his contract. He may not be given the chance to finish the year. Kiffin will be one of the first calls.

His name has been linked Florida in the past. Dan Mullen actually suggested Kiffin as his replacement upon being let go in 2021.

The Gators ultimately hired Napier. The partnership has failed. Could Lane Kiffin fill his spot if let go? His recent praise of a Group of Five coach created a stir.

Jon Sumrall will be an SEC coach…

But where? He’s won at both of his head coaching stops, which include Tulane and Troy. In three-plus seasons, he’s posted a 35-9 overall record.

Both of those schools happen to be in the heart of SEC Country. He could be the league’s next target according to Kiffin.

“I just think his teams are really disciplined, they play really hard, and they tackle really well. He’s got a really fundamental defensive system, and he wins… I told my staff yesterday, I said, ‘I feel like I’m going to be in head coaches’ meetings in the conference – I think our first one is in January – with Coach Sumrall.’ So, it’s funny you bring that up.”

-Lane Kiffin

Sumrall is from Alabama and played linebacker at Kentucky. He is extremely familiar with the Southeastern Conference.

His success and history within the league could very well lead to interest from programs undergoing coaching changes. The timing of Kiffin’s endorsement is curious, though.

Ole Miss plays Tulane in Week 4. This will certainly create a distraction for the Green Wave coach.

Sumrall is likely to field questions about future job openings in his media appearances this week while Kiffin redirects the attention away from himself.

It might’ve backfired a bit, though. Florida fans believe the coach was speaking cryptically about Billy Napier’s imminent firing. He wants the job!

“When Lane says stuff like this, he just gets people in Gainesville connecting dots,” said On3 Sports reporter Andy Staples. “Judging by the message board, that fanbase’s dream is Sumrall to Ole Miss because Lane went south.”

Kiffin was attempting to quiet rumors on his future while creating an unexpected storyline for his next opponent. He unintentionally put the spotlight back on himself.

Jon Sumrall will replace Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss when Florida fires Billy Napier!