The University of Florida is in need of a new football coach and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin has been mentioned the most for the job.
Florida announced on Sunday that head coach Billy Napier has been fired. The Gators are 3-4 on the year. Florida got a win against Mississippi State on Saturday night, but the Gainesville program opted to make a change anyway.
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“Today I met with Coach Napier and informed him that a change in leadership of our football program would best serve the interests of the University of Florida,” Florida AD Scott Stricklin announced.
“On behalf of Gator Nation, I want to sincerely thank Billy and his family for their tireless commitment to the Florida Gators. Billy built a tremendous culture of accountability and growth among the young men he led each day. His organized and detailed approach had a meaningful impact across all levels of our program.
“As Coach Napier has often said, this is a results-driven business, and while his influence was positive, it ultimately did not translate into the level of success we expect on the field.”
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GAINESVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 20: The Florida Gators play the South Carolina Gamecocks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 20, 2012 in Gainesville, Florida. Florida defeated South Carolina 44-11. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Who will Florida target?
We named three possible candidates for the job earlier on Sunday. Kiffin, the Ole Miss head coach, is atop the Gators’ list.
One announcer claims Kiffin has already made a decision
Longtime college football announcer Tim Brando is hearing the Lane Kiffin-to-Florida hype. However, he claims that Kiffin isn’t going anywhere.
“All Florida fans want is a spiritual successor to Steve Spurrier. They want a coach who wears a visor, scores points and talks (expletive),” Andy Staples wrote.
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Brando responded: “Sums up all my earlier points, and guess what? The @Lane_Kiffin 🚂 ain’t coming. Not happening.”
Kiffin, who has been at Ole Miss since 2020, has built the Rebels into an SEC contender and College Football Playoff hopeful.
But will he leave Ole Miss?
One college football announcer is saying no way.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Oct 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.