After the consequential firing of Dan Mullen in 2021, Florida and AD Scott Stricklin quickly focused their efforts on Billy Napier, who was the head coach at Louisiana. Within a matter of days, the university and Napier agreed to terms on a seven-year, $51.8 million contract. The man to take over as ‘Head Ball Coach’ in Gainesville had been solidified, and it never seemed like Florida ever set its sights on anyone else.
Fast forward to September of 2025, nearly four years after Napier was hired, where fans want nothing to do with Napier anymore. The fourth-year head coach has “spotted the ball” in embarrassing fashion, as the Gators hold just one win compared to three losses. “Generational” quarterback prospect DJ Lagway has looked more like Emory Jones than his media-given title, the offensive line is losing the battles in the trenches, and the Gators are still struggling to put eleven players onto the field.
The Lane Train is picking up steam
Despite all that, there’s a small sense of hope within the fanbase. And that hope is from a desire to hire an experienced, passionate head coach: Lane Kiffin. Kiffin, who has served as head coach of Ole Miss since December of 2019, has quickly won the hearts of a large chunk of the Florida fanbase, and many fans are actively calling for him to be the focus of the imminent coaching search.
But could it happen?
Regardless of whether Kiffin would accept the job if offered, there’s a hurdle before we could get to that point: Scott Stricklin. Stricklin, who has come under his own scrutiny from the fanbase, likely isn’t a fan of Kiffin’s wild, cocky personality. The Florida athletic director has displayed his preference for mild-mannered, well-liked coaches like Dan Mullen, Napier, and even on the basketball court in Todd Golden and Mike White.
And then comes the second point: would a Kiffin hiring highlight Stricklin’s mistake in 2021? Think about it: Kiffin was well on the market when the Gators got their coach. Despite the quick focus on Napier, there was still a relatively significant number of fans more than willing to explore hiring Kiffin. That ultimately didn’t matter, however, as Stricklin and the university didn’t show any interest in the Ole Miss coach. If Stricklin attempted to poach Kiffin from the Rebels (assuming Napier gets fired), would he unknowingly expose one of his most damaging mistakes?
Currently, with Napier still somehow at the helm, this talk is just that: talk.
But given the recent pro-Kiffin traction from the fanbase, one has to wonder if Stricklin would make a call that would damage his already-shattered image to the fanbase.