As it stands right now, Scott Stricklin's legacy at Florida is complicated. He did hire Todd Golden to win a national title in basketball, and he also oversaw the completion of baseball and softball getting brand new stadiums that everyone agrees are great. He also has a terrible overall track record of hiring coaches and hasn't exactly handled scandals within the athletic department the smoothest.
As we all know, football is king at Florida, and Stricklin is currently 0-1-1 in hiring a football coach.
But he has one last chance to pull off a hire that could either elevate his legacy in Gainesville or sink his reputation for good.
Scott Stricklin trying to land Lane Kiffin
As much crap as we like to give Dan Mullen for how it ended at Florida, we wouldn't go so far as to say it was a failed hire. Had the 12-team playoff existed, Mullen would have made it in 2019 and 2020 and would have been on the bubble to make it in 2018.
He also left Gainesville as the third-most-winning coach in program history, so we will call the hire a push/draw.
But then Stricklin hired Billy Napier, and we have already said our fair share of mean things about Napier.
Most ADs don't get a chance to hire a third football coach, as they too are usually sent packing once the second coach fails. But given a mulligan, Stricklin has one last shot to redeem himself.
If Stricklin lands Lane Kiffin, then history will probably gloss over some of Stricklin's other failures, especially if Kiffin takes Florida to the heights everyone thinks he can.
What if Lane Kiffin doesn't come to Florida?
If Lane Kiffin opts to stay at Ole Miss, it will be hard to pin that on Stricklin unless something comes out that he wasn't willing to budge on.
But it's LSU's presence in the picture that 100% does fall on Stricklin and creates an obstacle that didn't have to exist. Stricklin opted to hang onto Napier for one more year, even though it was apparent he wasn't the guy. Florida would have been the only SEC job open last offseason and wouldn't have had to deal with anyone else trying to poach Kiffin away.
In the SEC alone, Florida has to fight off LSU and Auburn. And while Auburn isn't in the running for Kiffin, its presence creates complications in landing a Plan B should Kiffin go to LSU.
If Stricklin can navigate all of this and still go get his man, then all will be well.
But if Stricklin blows this, he will have no one to blame but his own lack of conviction and decision-making from a year ago.