Controversial $54 million college football coach is favorite at Florida: Insider

"So, I said last year that if that job (Florida) came open, I thought Lane would crawl over broken glass to get it," Pate noted on his Sunday podcast. "I did feel that last year. I don't feel that as strongly this year. Although, I would still make him the favorite to be offered and accept the Florida job. But by no means do I think that's a slam dunk. By no means do I think that.

"... So, it's very much a wait and see (situation). But yeah, I think that's a Lane Kiffin job. Don't overthink the room on that. And then if he says no, then you adjust."

Will Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss for Florida?

The question is whether Kiffin, if offered, will leave Ole Miss for Florida. In the old college football world, being the Gators coach is a much better job than roaming the sideline for the Rebels.

Florida is still a better job than Ole Miss, but the margin is much more narrow. With the expanded College Football Playoff and NIL era, Kiffin has a path at Ole Miss to contend. Curt Cignetti just made a decision to remain at Indiana rather than chase a more high-profile job.

As we have now seen with multiple head coaches, the environment in Gainesville is a bit of a pressure cooker. The advantage of staying at Ole Miss is that the pressure is not quite as high for Kiffin as it would be at Florida.

Lane Kiffin's success at Ole Miss could impact his chances to land Florida job

No matter the era, Florida is still Florida and there is plenty of appeal to being the Gators head coach. Coaching in the SEC amid the recruiting hotbed of the Sunshine State makes Florida one of the premier jobs in college football.

Ole Miss' success this season could complicate Kiffin's candidacy. If Ole Miss makes a deep playoff run, Florida could consider moving on to other candidates given the less than ideal timing.

The remainder of Lane Kiffin's contract at Ole Miss is an estimated $54 million

The new transfer portal window is Jan. 2-16. Florida and the other programs looking for a new head coach would likely love to have someone in place before the portal opens.

Kiffin is set to make $9 million annually through 2030, meaning the Ole Miss coach is owed about $54 million on his remaining contract, per Yahoo Sports.

As for Florida's decision, hiring Kiffin is not without its complications. Prior to Ole Miss, Kiffin has shown an eagerness to quickly change coaching jobs. Kiffin is not afraid of controversy in terms of trolling opponents and speaking his mind, which may not be ideal at some programs.