Is Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss? Origins of speculation amid Florida coaching, Billy Napier rumors explored

In the last few weeks, there have been increasing speculation that Florida Gators coach Billy Napier could be leaving the program or get fired by the Gators by the end of the season. That has led to rumors about who could replace Napier.

One such contender for the Gators coach is Lane Kiffin. But how did these rumors come about, and will Kiffin leave Ole Miss for Florida?

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How did these rumors start?

These rumors originally came from Gators fans themselves. Unhappy with the poor form the Gators have shown under coach Napier, fans wanted a change in leadership.

Billy Napier's time with the Florida Gators has seen the once national leading program struggling to win games. Coming into week four of the 2024 season, the Gators are 1-2 (0-1 SEC).

The sole victory came against an FCS team Florida should be able to defeat. But the team has had two large defeats against the Miami Hurricanes and the Texas A&M Aggies.

What started as unhappy Florida fans voicing who would they like as their new coach has been amplified by the media. Now there's a link between Lane Kiffin and the Florida Gators job when (and it is likely to be when, not if) Napier gets fired.

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Could the Florida Gators make a move for Lane Kiffin?

According to insiders, there are movements from within the Florida Gators that they could make a move for Lane Kiffin, who's a top priority for the program. These come from ESPN's Ryan McGee, who said on Monday:

“I was in a couple of different situations and rooms and locations with people who have legitimate power in these things. Lane Kiffin is the list. Anyone else, they feel like they’re settling. And I’m not just talking about the fan base. I’m talking about the chequebooks.

“Lane Kiffin is the list, and these are the same people that said to me they didn’t expect Billy Napier to make it the Monday if they lost the game in an embarrassing way, which they did on Saturday. So they’re trying to figure it out right now, but Lane Kiffin is the list.”

While nothing is going to happen yet, it could provide fans with the inkling that not only (as widely expected) that Billy Napier's time in Florida is nearly over, the Gators are in the process of trying to make a serious move for Kiffin.