As Florida football plays out the string on Nov. 29 against rival Florida State (4:30 p.m., ESPN2), the focus has shifted to the coaching search and whether an answer will come before National Signing Day on Dec. 3.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will make his decision on Nov. 29, one day after the Rebels play rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, according to a statement from Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter. The 50-year-old Kiffin has three choices − stay at Ole Miss, leave for LSU or leave to coach the Florida Gators.
“Some people in the big money world at Florida are still confident they are going to get (Lane),” Brockway said. “Others are wondering whether the lure of LSU will steer him away. I’ve heard everything from high school football facilities for (his son) Knox, being better in Baton Rouge than in Gainesville and that’s playing into the decision, or the money, which sounds about the same. At this point, it’s still anyone’s guess.”
Abadie pointed out that Kiffin does have a connection with LSU in general manager Austin Thomas, whom Kiffin worked with at Tennessee, Ole Miss and USC.
“The latest bit of it comes down to how much control he has to put together a team with the general manager and money,” Abadie said.
Later Brockway and Abadie were joined by Liam Rooney of the Tallahassee Democrat, who discussed what to expect from the Seminoles (5-6) in their matchup with the Gators (3-8), who have lost four in a row. FSU has lost 10 straight games on the road, with its last road win coming against UF in The Swamp on Nov. 25, 2023 (24-15). The Seminoles began the year with a 31-17 upset of No. 10 Alabama at home but were unable to carry that momentum through the rest of the season.
“In flashes you have seen what this team could have been this year,” Rooney said. “Obviously we all know what happened Week 1 against Alabama. There were moments in that game against Virginia and that loss led to the tailspin of this season but there are certainly some playmakers on this team.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Is Lane Kiffin coming? Swampcast discusses Lane to Florida football, UF-FSU matchup
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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