(Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)
Florida appears to have reached a turning point in what has been one of college football’s most-watched coaching searches this season.
According to a report from GatorsOnline’s Zach Abolverdi on Friday morning, the Gators no longer expect to land Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and have started to pursue other candidates.
Those sources close to the situation told Abolverdi that Kiffin’s behavior and communication patterns in recent days led Florida officials to believe he was more interested in his other options.
The development serves as a pivot by Florida, which made Kiffin its top target after the firing of Billy Napier following a 3-4 start to the 2025 season. The report was confirmed moments later by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Kiffin, 50, has been at the center of perhaps the most intense coaching carousel in recent memory.
Three SEC programs-Florida, LSU and Ole Miss-have all reportedly put forward contract offers to Kiffin that would pay him at least $13 million per year and guarantee roster investments of at least $25 million in NIL funds.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin and other university officials met with Kiffin’s representatives last week, but it seems that communication between the parties has essentially stalled.
LSU has emerged as the most formidable suitor should Kiffin opt out of Oxford, as university executives finalize terms of a contract proposal and are seeking a commitment in days.
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter issued a statement last week that indicated an announcement on Kiffin’s future will come Saturday, after the Rebels’ Egg Bowl matchup against Mississippi State on Friday afternoon.
Kiffin has guided Ole Miss to a 10-1 record and what could be the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Florida’s Coaching Search Takes New Direction With Alternative Candidates Under Consideration
Florida has since shifted attention to other candidates, with Washington head coach Jedd Fisch, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, and Tulane’s Jon Sumrall thought to be in the mix.
Fisch, a Florida alum who was a graduate assistant under Steve Spurrier, is a name that has gained some steam over the past several days.
Sumrall, who a week ago was reported to have pulled out of Florida’s search, is considered a top candidate according to the reporting staff at On3.
Sources: Florida does not expect to land Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and is closing in on other targets.
In recent days, sources said Kiffin’s erratic communication and behavior has led UF to think he may be more interested in his other options.
DETAILS: https://t.co/a3rTUflBOp pic.twitter.com/X23Z3xE24R
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) November 28, 2025
Sumrall is 40-11 as a head coach between stops at Troy and Tulane, with the Green Wave currently 8-2 and positioned as a potential Group of Five playoff team.
Kiffin has been at Ole Miss for the last six seasons and is 54-19 overall with the Rebels. The Oxford job represents the longest tenure of his coaching career, which has included stops at Tennessee, USC, and Florida Atlantic.
Since his arrival in Oxford, he has led Ole Miss to four 10-win seasons, an incredible feat considering the program had only four such seasons in the previous 57 years before his arrival in 2019.
Kiffin appeared on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week and denied a report that Ole Miss had given him a Nov. 28 deadline for a decision: “That’s absolutely not true. There’s been no ultimatum or anything like that at all.” He said the team was “having a blast” and that he loved being at Ole Miss.
The shifting dynamics leave LSU as the clear frontrunner if Kiffin decides to leave his current position. Florida’s decision to pivot away from Kiffin suggests the Gators are unwilling to wait any longer for clarity.
The move positions Florida to make a faster decision on its next head coach while Kiffin prepares for what could be a historic season finale with Ole Miss.
