Diving into Lane Kiffin’s Gators Connections Amid Coaching Buzz

From his family ties to the program to his idolization of legendary Florida Gators head coach Steve Spurrier, it’s no secret that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is viewed as a top candidate for Florida’s open head coaching position.

While Kiffin has yet to directly address whether he is considering the position, he offered some insight to ESPN’s Molly McGrath about how he is handling the process while being in the middle of a season with his current team.

"When I pressed him about the leverage that these job openings create for him, he said, ‘I'm never going to make decisions based on money. I'm going to make decisions based on everyday happiness,’" McGrath said. "And when I covered Ole Miss' game at Florida last year, Kiffin pulled me aside and said this is a really special place for me and my family. It’s where he had his first date with his children’s mother, so Gainesville is a nostalgic place for the Kiffin family. Perhaps that will play a role in it.”

Kiffin’s wife, Layla, is a Gators alum and the daughter of Gators legend John Reaves.

During the 1969 season, Reaves led Florida to a 9-1-1 record, the best season in program history up to that point. By the time his collegiate career was over, he was the NCAA’s all-time leader in passing yards (7,581) and the SEC’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (56). 

While those records went on to be broken, one that will likely stand the test of time is his NCAA single-game interception record, which came when he threw nine interceptions during a loss to Auburn in 1969.

The Ole Miss head coach also grew up as a strong admirer of former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier. During Kiffin’s teens and collegiate years, Spurrier turned the Gators into a national powerhouse as they dominated the SEC throughout the 1990s.

According to Kiffin, Spurrier served as a great source of inspiration and is even the reason he coaches with a visor on.

"I wanted to be Steve Spurrier," Kiffin said. "When I watched him and his offenses in the visor and kind of the way he’d throw jabs at other coaches and teams and stuff, I was like, Steve Spurrier is the man. That’s what I want to be."

While commenting on Florida’s ongoing coaching search, Spurrier threw some praise in Kiffin’s direction.

“I think we’re going to try to hire a proven coach who’s got a winning record in the SEC or another major conference,” Spurrier told the Columbus Dispatch. “I firmly think he is a very good coach. There’s no question about that.”

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