Dan Mullen says he told Scott Stricklin to hire Lane Kiffin after being fired
Dan Mullen knows his tenure as Florida’s head coach did not work out the way anyone hoped it would. However, he still gave AD Scott Stricklin some advice on who could get the program turned around.
While Billy Napier remains employed by the Gators, his seat remains at scorching levels after a 1-2 start to the season and a pair of disastrous home losses. In fact, some have already begun speculating about who should be targeted if (and when) Napier is let go.
Current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is a name that has been batted around, and Mullen recently revealed he told Stricklin to hire Kiffin in 2021 after the Gators knew they were moving on from Mullen.
“You know, it’s pretty funny. When I was let go a couple years ago at Florida, they asked me and I said ‘Hey I’d go hire Lane Kiffin right now. If you’re going to get rid of me, I’d go hire Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss right now’,” Mullen said in a conversation with Zach Gelb. “You know that at Florida, you know they love points. He’s going to continue the offense to run points.”
As for the idea of Kiffin in Gainesville now, Mullen admitted the situation has shifted with the way Kiffin has Ole Miss clicking. But Mullen remains adamant Kiffin “probably” would have taken the job in the past if it were offered.
“I think he would’ve been a great fit right off the bat but that was several years ago,” Mullen admitted. “He’s now gotten Ole Miss to getting into Playoff contention. I don’t know if that would interest him or not. You never know in the coaching profession why someone would make a decision… I think a couple of years ago he probably would have taken the job if you offered it to him.”
When Mullen was let go of toward the end of the 2021 season, Kiffin was in the process of compiling his first 10-win season with the Rebels. However, the Gators went a different direction, hiring Napier who had led Louisiana to 3 straight seasons with 10+ wins.
Since the start of the 2022 season, Kiffin is 22-7 with an 11-win season in 2023. Meanwhile, the Gators have gone 12-16 under Napier with one disappointing bowl appearance in that time frame.
For now, fans are left to wonder what could have been if Stricklin and the Gators had heeded Mullen’s advice.
.@CoachDanMullen revealed to me that when he got fired from Florida, he told Scott Stricklin to hire Lane Kiffin. @InfSportsNet @Lane_Kiffin pic.twitter.com/RxUaHhOMjA
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) September 19, 2024
Sure you did, Dan. That’s what all FIRED coaches do, suggest who should be hired next.
By the way Dan, if you’re still looking, we may have a job opening soon. But only if Todd comes with…regards, Strickland
Oh, and if you see leeland, tell him he’s slacking again.
Of course, the next logical step would be to interview Stricklin about his recollection of the alleged conversation….but don’t hold your breath……………..
Why not? As long as the buy out checks clear no hard feelings. Why someone one would take advice from someone they were firing…that’s a different question. Or maybe the did reach out to lane though his agent and got a no.
Stricklin did not reach out to Lane back then and he’s not likely to reach out to Lane now. He doesn’t like Lane as HIS HC.
If the boosters want to hire Lane, they’ll need to get lame duck president Fuchs to fire Stricklin first. Good luck to the boosters with that one.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve said before that Napier may be HC at UF a whole lot longer than the media and fans want him to be.
I really think Kiffin will take the job.
(1) You play the same teams in Gainsville as you do in Oxford (same conference)
(2) Resources much better in Gainsville
(3) Recruit half as hard and have twice the class
I don’t see Kiffin passing on this one.
If he comes close to a natty this year no way he leaves. He could be the next Johnny vaught and the Ole miss GOAT. Florida’s best chance is offer him 44M for 4 years now, with a 3 year guarantee, so he knows going into the playoff he’s leaving
Les, Lane may well get to the CFP with the 12-team playoff, but he will not come close to an NC at Ole Miss because portal-built teams don’t have the LOS depth to win the fourth quarter against an Alabama, Texas, or Georgia.
That may be true, but it’s also true to no one is winning a National Championship at Florida in the foreseeable future.
ruff, it can turn a dime in today CFB!
Well ruff, what’s you’re point?
Only three short years ago that was being said about Tennessee and Texas. What about now?
Nash great point – the last fifteen years of Gator football have shown us it’s a LOS league and the last 5 years even more so. Lane undoubtedly is a good coach on offense and can recruit skill players but even with UF’s resources can he recruit the biguns in the trenches like Cristobal has at Miami? Or dare I say Kirby at UGA ?
recruit half as hard? That’s what Mullen thought.
Mullen’s distain for recruiting is legend, exceeded only by his tendency to implode when insufficiently adored. If one considers Napier the standard bearer of failure, then Mullen stands alone as the biggest catastrophe since Custer’s Last Stand. Put differently, all hat and no saddle.
Please feel welcome to join me in the hope that his crotch may be infested with the fleas of a thousand syphilitic camels.
“saddle”? I always thought it was cattle. But, far be from me to argue with a Texan about it.
Not a native Texan, but I’ll admit to getting here as fast as I could after being stationed in Texas 4 times over 32 years in the Army (5 if you count Ft Bliss, but I maintain that El Paso, not being the end of the world but you can certainly see it from there, is not in Texas). Kind of grows on a guy, even a Floridian.
Certainly do appreciate your service my friend.
Kiffin improves through the waiver wire. You can do that at Ol Miss and not have the Gator stench on you..
It would take an extraordinary offer to get Lane to leave Oxford before Knox graduates from High School. Florida has the money, but they seem to be stingy with it. I think that he can also recognize that Florida’s problems go beyond the coach and he would be in a very difficult situation if he goes there.
There are several reasons why Lane will remain in Oxford a few more years. Three come to mind right away:
1. The current UF administration doesn’t care for his personality and style and replacing them will take at least 6 months.
2. As you mentioned above, his current family situation argues for him staying put in Oxford for the next few years.
3. He has the colossal ego and innovative spark to believe he can win a NC in Oxford. He can use #2 above to test that theory.
Seems like Kiffin sees Ole Miss as a challenge, and he’s not ready to give up on it. But if he really wants a challenge, he should take on the dumpster fire in Gainesville.
Is that a confession, an apology, or a punch line?
It sounded like a narcissistic plea for attention.
Yup!!
Kiffin is better than CBN, my concern with him is that he uses the transfer portal a lot, who’s to say if Ole Miss will be as strong next year when a lot of key pieces are gone ala FSU?
GFA, every substantially portal-built team is going to have drastic ups and downs from season to season, or at least every couple seasons, just like FSU. It’s unavoidable because it embeds inconsistency in your program.
FSU hit the necessary 50% Blue Chip Ratio this year, but they utterly missed on the quarterback and — I suspect — the culture of their newest portal defensive players.
If you’re Ole Miss, the periodic good seasons are worth it. But it’s not going to lead to consistent year-to-year success, or the elite roster depth (43-plus 4- and 5-stars) needed to build a national championship team.
I think that’s what’s going to be borne out in the future.
It remains to be seen if Kiffin can actually build a consistent contender. Iirc this is the longest he’s stayed at a job and prior to Ol Miss he’d never been at a school long enough to see a recruit graduate. He’s doing what he’s doing now with the portal. Consistent 9-10 win regular seasons and a playoff appearance every few years, even if he never wins a playoff game, will keep him employed at Oxford til he decides to hang it up as their undisputed GOAT. At UF that might not buy him half a decade.
I disagree. We are a few years away from the Portal being the only way!!!!
The portal will NEVER be the way to build a sustainable championship program, any more than free agency is the way to build a champion in the NFL.
HS recruiting will continue to be the foundation upon which great teams are built, especially along the LOS.
You’re fired, who should we hire to replace you? Yeah, that one doesn’t pass the smell test…
Dan I am sorry for misunderstanding
Scott Strickin is stupid clue less
You took the gators to 3 new year bowl you almost beat Alabama . Ok you had a bad year
Every body has a bad year .
Do not worry we are going to fire Scott stricklin so you do not not have to deal with that idiot
Dan please come back gator nation loves you more than ever .
For those idiots who do not remember last time that Georgia lost a equals season game you were the coach that beat Kirby Smart
Fire Billy Napie
Fire Scott Stricklin
HIRE DAN MULLEN
LMAO! Hope you were just kidding about that last one.
I’ll take conversations that never happened for 1000 Alex.
Dan Mullen is and always has been a liar.
Everybody lies occasionally. It’s just that this lie is such a ridiculous whopper.
Moreover, we’re all at least 15 IQ points dumber for having dignified the lie by reading the article in which it was alleged.
Note that the only Gator who could actually afford to lose that much IQ, Leeland, elected not to post. :)
It’s truly amazing how many posters on this site have it all figured out.
Question? If Florida is such a “great” coaching destination, then why have they cycled through so many “can’t miss” candidates? Since Lane’s been at Ole Miss, it’s pretty evident he can win AND win big in Oxford. TV money, NIL and the portal have forever changed college sports. Invest, evaluate and coach. We’re not going anywhere, so get used to it.
You’re just bitter, Booby….but I do agree that you guys are not going anywhere.