There is a great rivalry brewing in the SEC, and it is between two fanbases that otherwise seldom think of each other. Florida Gator fans are dreaming of poaching Lane Kiffin while Ole Miss fans are trying to convince themselves that Oxford is a better job to have than in Gainesville.
There are some fair points the Rebels faithful make, but the newfound narrative that has popped up that somehow Ole Miss is a better job than Florida is questionable at best.
Florida is still a better job than Ole Miss
Now that Billy Napier has been fired, and it is no secret that Florida's higher-ups have Kiffin squarely on their radar, Ole Miss fans have gotten a bit antsy in the past week.
The argument starting to brew is that in the modern era, with things like the transfer portal and NIL money that level out the playing field, moving from Ole Miss to Florida is a lateral move at best.
If our friends in Oxford need some help as to why that just isn't true, even throwing out all the historical data, here are just a few reasons why Kiffin might be tempted to move:
- You know how Kiffin has been frustrated about empty seats in Oxford because everyone is too busy tailgating? Not a problem in Gainesville.
- You know how Kiffin has been frustrated with the string of noon games the Rebels have had this season? Not a problem in Gainesville.
- You know how Ole Miss struggles to crack the top 20 in both talent composite and in the recruiting rankings? Not a problem in Gainesville.
The last bullet point is probably the most significant as to why it is easier to win in Gainesville than in Oxford. As lovely as a place Ole Miss may be, they don't have the built-in recruiting advantages that Florida has.
Florida has three major metropolitan areas (Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville) that are all within a two-hour drive of campus. And even though Florida struggles at times getting guys out of Miami, they still have that as an option.
Keeping guys local has become harder and harder, but it's a huge reason why Florida was able to land Dallas Wilson in this past recruiting class, as well as a string of other legacy players like Myles Graham and Vernell Brown III.
Then throw in the built-in NIL opportunities of Gatorade and the Jordan brand, on top of other standard NIL deals, and the right coach would have an easier time getting guys to Florida than they would to Ole Miss.
Billy Napier failed because he was a terrible head coach, but even he managed to assemble more talent than Ole Miss.
Ole Miss has become successful and elevated under Lane Kiffin, but that is more a testament to Kiffin than it is to Ole Miss.
Riddle yourself this:
Let's pretend that Kiffin just straight up retires at the end of the season. What would the Ole Miss coaching board look like compared to what Florida's looks like now? How many current Power Four head coaches would jump ship to Ole Miss compared to how many would jump to Florida?
And it is possible Kiffin is perfectly happy in Oxford, and he is going to use this Florida smoke to leverage a new contract with Ole Miss. If he does, Florida will move on to the next option.
But don't mistake comfort and settling for which program offers the higher ceiling in the long run.