re: Talty: Woodward was not a fan of Kiffin

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What specifically had he meddled in?

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He nailed Mulkey

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Didn't he force Pelini on Coach O?

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here was, frankly, a lot to like about Florida for Kiffin. He was a huge Steve Spurrier fan and wore a visor in honor of the Head Ball Coach. His ex-wife Layla's father, John Reaves, was a legendary former Florida quarterback. If the Kiffins all moved to Gainesville, Knox, a rising star quarterback at Oxford High School, could even play high school football at the same high school, Buchholz, his mother attended.

Kiffin had long been interested in the Florida job, even trying and failing to get in the mix back in 2021 when Florida instead hired Louisiana coach Billy Napier. After Florida fired Napier on Oct. 19 after a 22-23 record, it finally set up a potential marriage between Kiffin and the Gators.

There was only one problem: the first conversation between Kiffin and Florida AD Scott Stricklin did not go well, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. At the time, Florida was the biggest job available and had the perceived leverage to dictate some of its terms. That included wanting a general manager with an NFL background who wouldn't report directly to Kiffin. This was a non-starter for Kiffin, who strongly believes in the abilities of Ole Miss general manager Billy Glasscock, and it got the pursuit off to an awkward start.
There was something just beneath the surface, too. Multiple sources familiar with Stricklin's thinking had long cast doubt on his desire ever to hire Kiffin, a brilliant offensive mind with a penchant for stirring up drama. There was a reason, after all, that his mother used to call him "Helicopter" growing up.

"He thrives on f------ with people," one long-time friend said. "You cannot begin to understand how much he enjoys that part of it."


Stricklin, a more buttoned-up personality, had preferred Napier's no-nonsense approach over Kiffin's antics the last time around.


Mississippi State fans trolled Kiffin in Friday's Egg Bowl with an AI-generated sign in the stands. IMAGN Images
With the Florida booster base rallying around pursuing Kiffin, Stricklin did his due diligence and started vetting the Ole Miss coach before firing Napier. The biggest question he posed to those who knew Kiffin well was whether Lane had really changed and grown up. The answers Stricklin got made him comfortable enough to heavily pursue him as the next Florida head coach.

Still, Kiffin was well aware that he wasn't Stricklin's cup of tea, and the feeling was mutual. It was the kind of thing that could have possibly been overcome if there were no other options, but Ole Miss all but allowed him to do whatever he wanted in Oxford and kept giving him more and more resources to push the program forward. "He was never told no," one source said. Kiffin was concerned about Stricklin's meddling and how they would mesh, later telling confidants he had a "weird vibe" about the situation.

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He nailed Mulkey and McMahon

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