Yep thats the tough one w Lane...Im sure there is some number which gets the ink to paper in the time that we need it to be...and an announcement can be made to hold the class together while he finishes up. If he says yes it would be foolish for him to let his star players at UF leave before he becomes their head coach. Not only is that a benefit to us but it is a benefit to him as the new UF coach.
I think what we want is to consistently be in the top 12 and therefore in the playoffs and I don't think that is too much to ask at the University of Florida.
The only ways to get a coach in before early signing day are to promote from within the current staff or hire externally from the NFL. The current Gator staff lacks any good interim head coach candidates, much less a future head coach. There are only a couple former NFL coaches who might make a successful transition to college, with one of them having baggage for racist comments made public. There are not a lot of options out there.
Now, you're talking. In addition to his dubious character, I am worried about some of the same things you mention about Kiffin, and more. He left TN in a lurch for greener pastures after what, a year? He also pissed off Gator fans by falsely claiming we were cheating while he was there. He was a winning coach at USC who got left on the tarmac by his boss. He was a good OC at Alabama who couldn't get along with his legendary boss and got sent down the road early before the National Championship game. After that he was a guy who took a losing lower-tier team and made it a winner in Ft. Lauderdale (Napier did that at UL, too). Now he's improving a bad team at Ole Miss with an influx of temporary portal help. He will have to do that every single year like Deion Sanders is having to do with his Girl Friday roster. My bet is that you can't do that and win consistently. My idea of consistency is always being competitive, often being in the mix for Atlanta, and occasionally going deep in the playoffs. In other words, going to the 12-team playoffs most every year. I have a feeling if Kiffin comes here, he will be gone by some means in four years or less. Everybody here seems to be itching for him, so, maybe they will get him... for a while.
I agree with this. Which looking back to Mullen its very possible we would be in that conversation. Not sure if he would have bounced back from the downfall he was having... but I am curious if he was ever pressured to change anything before we fired him.
Why is everyone so concerned about losing players off a team that is maybe going to win 2-3 games? This board was in a ferver for Napier to overhaul the Mullen roster that won more games. Make it make sense.
With the portal things can be turned around much more quickly than before. Whether the Gators will find someone who can use it to its fullest is an entirely different conversation.
These are most of my thoughts summed up. I look at Lane differently Post-bama. I was in Boca while he was at FAU and it was fun. He was fun as a HC. I think the dream is that UF provides him the ability for a sustained success... But I think thats what Mullen thought. He could basically do the same thing he was doing at Miss St and the recruits would just show up. Did not workout.... All I know is Lane Kiffin would be FUN and it is the only realistic "Splash" hire
I do agree with that, Crush. The question remains about the consistency and persistence of that turn-around though. You live by the sword and die by the sword in the portal.
I agree with everything you said but, I do believe that Kiffin could recruit better at UF than at Ole Miss, even though I believe that geography is much less important in the world of NIL. Because of this, I think he could rely on the portal less. He does seem to have a great eye for talent in the portal though, which is also a plus. I don't hold his comments about us against him. He was the new kid on the block and wanted to take a swing at the biggest bully on the block.
Yes, we do have a larger, more talented recruiting base than Mississippi does. And, you're right that it would stand to reason that any coach would be able to find more talent here. I do believe recruiting is more national than local or even regional now, though. A really great recruiter at a great program should be able to pull them from anywhere, at least to some degree.
This and It was reported that Eugene Wilson had a scope done on his knee, like what Trell had during camp. All this unsubstantiated talk about he is holding himself out, and basically quitting on his team is BS. IMO I don't think he is wired that way. We end up losing him to the portal in the end but I don't buy that talk about him pretending to be hurt, in hopes that he can preserve his red shirt and then transfer.
I think so, yes. It is the main state school. Though a long way from LSU or Bama of course. But certainly bigger than Louisiana Rajun Cajuns, or whatever Billy's school was.
It depends how you define big school. To me the answer is yes. What conference do they play in? The ACC- so a major conference. NOT the SEC or Big 10, but major. And who do they play each and every year.... Clemson, UNC, NC STate, UVA... Big state schools. Napier played no one comparable Also- if you notice I said FLORIDA TIES. Spurrier had that in spades. Spurrier also had head coaching experience in the USFL. So yes- Spurrier was not a Billy D or Billy N type hire.
Fair point. But the two reasons it concerns me are as follows: 1. The ones we would realy be in danger of losing are ones other people want. And by reasoning would be ones we want. 2. We have lost some in the past that have done well elsewhere (nowhere near all of the ones that transferred out.) So there is reason to believe there is some good talent that just needs good coaching.
Check your references, they are in their first year of the Big12. Before that, Pac12 since 2011. When Meyer was there they were in the Mountain West.