Dan Mullen reveals he told Florida to hire Lane Kiffin after being fired in 2021

With Florida head coach Billy Napier‘s job security in question, others are already speculating about who could be the Gators’ next head coach. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin‘s name has repeatedly appeared in these discussions.

However, former Florida head coach Dan Mullen just added another layer to the rumor mill. During an appearance on The Zach Gelb Show, Mullen revealed he told Florida’s administration they should hire Kiffin when they fired him in 2021.

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“You know what’s pretty funny? When I got let go at Florida a couple years ago, they asked me, and I said, ‘Hey, I’d go hire Lane Kiffin right now,'” Mullen said. “I said, ‘If you’re gonna get rid of me, I’d go hire Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss right now.’

“He’s walking in with an Anthony Richardson. He’s walking in with a top-five draft pick at quarterback. So the program’s in good shape offensively. That way, there are some high-powered receivers committed and on the roster. So I think he would have been a great fit right off the bat, but that was several years ago.”

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At the time, Kiffin had already shown serious promise at Ole Miss, finishing the 2021 season with a 10-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in conference play. After a step back in 2022, Kiffin shined again last season, leading the Rebels to an 11-2 record.

Sitting with a 3-0 record this season, Ole Miss is in a much better place than Florida. While Mullen believes Kiffin may have been interested at the time, he’s unsure whether the 49-year-old head coach would entertain an offer from Florida now.

“Now he’s gotten Ole Miss to being in playoff contention, so I don’t know if that’s something that would interest him or not,” Mullen said. “You never know in the coaching profession why maybe someone’s making a decision. They’re going to have their personal or whatever reason to do it. But, I think a couple years ago, he probably would’ve taken the job if they offered it to him.”

While Florida didn’t heed Mullen’s advice then, the administration is reportedly interested in Kiffin now. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Ryan McGee reported that Kiffin would be Florida’s main target if they decided to fire Napier.

“I was in a couple of different situations and rooms and locations with people who have legitimate power in these things. Lane Kiffin is the list,” McGee said. “Anyone else, they feel like they’re settling. And I’m not just talking about the fan base. I’m talking about the checkbooks.”