Lane Kiffin looked like the hottest coaching candidate in college football Saturday night.
And what Ron DeSantis did before kickoff turned up the temperature.
Now Lane Kiffin had one laughing reaction to what Ron DeSantis did at the Ole Miss-Florida game.
Florida Governor showed up in Oxford for the big game
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made the trip to Oxford, Mississippi for Florida's matchup against No. 7 Ole Miss on November 15.
DeSantis wasn't just there for a casual game day experience either.
The Governor spent time tailgating at The Grove before heading into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for what everyone knew was going to be one of the most awkward games of the season.
DeSantis posted on social media about being a "Florida man in Oxford" and posed with Ole Miss cheerleaders.
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1989816023458144396?s=20
The Florida Governor's presence wasn't exactly subtle.
When DeSantis tweeted about his visit, Kiffin reposted it with a simple laughing emoji.
That one emoji said everything about how Kiffin views the circus surrounding his future.
The timing of DeSantis showing up wasn't lost on anyone watching college football.
Kiffin remains the top target for Florida's coaching vacancy
Florida fired head coach Billy Napier last month after a 3-4 start to the season and an overall record of 22-23 in four seasons.¹
Within days, Kiffin emerged as the biggest name connected to the vacancy.
He's been linked to the Florida job since before Napier even got fired.
The prediction market Kalshi has Kiffin as the favorite to take over at Florida next season with 61 percent likelihood.²
Those odds have only increased since the position opened up.
Kiffin also sits at the top of the candidate list for the LSU job at 30 percent on the same platform.
ESPN's Paul Finebaum made it clear where he thinks Kiffin will end up.
"Everybody seems to know something, and he is going to have a difficult time these next couple of weeks dealing with it," Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show after Saturday's game. "Because everything seems to be pointing toward Florida."³
But Kiffin isn't some desperate coach looking for his next gig.
He's built Ole Miss into one of the best programs in the SEC over the past few years.
Ole Miss fans chanted for Kiffin to stay after the big win
The Rebels beat Florida 34-24 in front of their home crowd Saturday night.
As the final seconds ticked off, Ole Miss fans started chanting "We want Lane! We want Lane!"⁴
That chant had a double meaning everyone understood.
Florida fans would love to have Kiffin lead their program.
But Ole Miss fans desperately want him to stay in Oxford.
The win moved No. 7 Ole Miss to 10-1 heading into an open date before they close the season at Mississippi State.
Kiffin addressed the Florida rumors after the game but didn't give anyone clarity on his future.
"I love what we're doing here," Kiffin said when asked about staying at Ole Miss. "Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We've got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here."⁵
https://twitter.com/TNVolsTrashCan/status/1988650104761512339?s=20
During the television broadcast, cameras caught Florida fans in the crowd wearing orange and blue shirts that read "Please Lane Come to Gainesville."
This wasn't the first time Kiffin faced questions about leaving Ole Miss for greener pastures.
Kiffin has been connected to major jobs before
Back in 2022, Auburn fired head coach Bryan Harsin and speculation immediately turned to Kiffin stepping into that position.
In ESPN's documentary "The Many Lives of Lane Kiffin," Kiffin's daughter Landry presented a slideshow convincing him to stay at Ole Miss.
That worked then.
But Florida presents a different kind of opportunity than Auburn did.
Florida has over 50,000 current students and more than 500,000 living alumni.
Having more alumni makes it easier to raise money in the NIL and transfer portal era.
The University of Florida operated with significantly more resources than Ole Miss in 2023.
Ole Miss worked with $142.2 million, which ranked third-to-last in the SEC.
Florida also plays in one of the most important recruiting states in college football.
The program has national championship history, Heisman Trophy winners, and plays in a big stadium with deep traditions.
Kiffin has acknowledged those factors matter in college football's current landscape.
"Kids get recruited, and they see the size of stadiums, traditions, Heismans, and national championships," Kiffin said this week. "Then your location to talent. I think all of those are in there."⁶
He also has personal ties to Gainesville.
Kiffin idolizes legendary former Florida coach Steve Spurrier.
https://twitter.com/CosgriffEmpire/status/1989831292557701342?s=20
Last year when Ole Miss played at Florida, Kiffin told ESPN's Holly McGrath that Gainesville is "a really special place for me and my family."⁷
It's where he had his first date with his children's mother.
That nostalgia factor could play a role in his decision.
DeSantis showing up sent a clear message
The Governor making the trip to Oxford for this specific game wasn't coincidental.
DeSantis has been heavily involved in college football matters throughout his time in office.
He pushed for the Florida-Florida State rivalry game to be added back to the schedule during COVID-19.
DeSantis passed House Bill 7B in 2023, allowing coaching staffs direct involvement in NIL negotiations between recruits and collectives.
He's also spoken publicly about wanting Florida's college football teams to return to dominance.
"We just need them to be No. 1 in football again," DeSantis said earlier this year about Florida's programs.⁸
But showing up to watch Florida play the coach everyone knows you want to hire?
That's recruitment.
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1990251247564419563?s=20
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter has tried to be proactive about keeping Kiffin.
"Of course, I've been talking with his agent, and I'm going to be proactive with working out a deal," Carter said in an interview with Ole Miss Spirit. "I'd love to get something done like Indiana did with Curt Cignetti before the silly season starts."⁹
Indiana signed Cignetti to an eight-year extension worth approximately $93 million after his success there.
Kiffin addressed those extension discussions last week but remained noncommittal.
"I don't comment on these other jobs or these ongoing things in-season," Kiffin said. "That's awesome that Keith said those things and I don't take that for granted."
For his part, Kiffin made the pregame scene even more interesting.
He entered the stadium Saturday night walking alongside comedian and podcaster Theo Von.
Von hosts the popular podcast "This Past Weekend" which Kiffin has appeared on in past episodes.
Von's following includes 8.6 million on Instagram and over 4.3 million on YouTube.
The comedian even tagged along with Kiffin on Friday to watch his son Knox play in a high school football playoff game.
Florida's coaching search heats up as Ole Miss chases playoff berth
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin detailed his approach after firing Napier.
He said time is an asset and they plan on being thorough in the search.
But plenty of other major jobs opened up at the same time.
LSU fired Brian Kelly after his team's struggles.
Auburn dismissed Hugh Freeze.
Arkansas and Penn State also have openings.
That gives Kiffin options if he decides Oxford isn't where he wants to finish his career.
Ole Miss is currently enjoying one of the most successful runs in program history under Kiffin.
The Rebels have won 10-plus games in four of the last five seasons.
Kiffin has shown he can adapt to college football's changing environment with NIL and the transfer portal.
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1990251247564419563?s=20
His son Knox addressed the coaching rumors in a recent interview with Rivals.
"It's definitely a little bit annoying but I understand, they want to know," the younger Kiffin said. "I don't know anything about it and I don't think he's really worried about anything. He's just trying to go to the playoffs."¹⁰
That playoff chase keeps Kiffin focused on the task at hand for now.
But DeSantis showing up in Oxford made one thing crystal clear.
Florida isn't waiting around hoping Kiffin might be interested.
They're actively pursuing him.
And that laughing emoji Kiffin tweeted showed he knows exactly what's happening.
¹ Kevin Brockway, "Florida governor, famous podcaster in attendance to watch Florida football vs Ole Miss," Gainesville Sun, November 15, 2025.
² Paul Finebaum update, SI.com, November 16, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ ESPN, "Lane Kiffin on Gators rumors after win: 'I love' Ole Miss," ESPN.com, November 16, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ SI.com, "Lane Kiffin's cryptic comments spark Florida coaching rumors," November 8, 2025.
⁷ SI.com, "Lane Kiffin Addressing Open Florida Job, Per ESPN Report," October 27, 2025.
⁸ Matt Baker, "DeSantis: We need Florida college football to be No. 1 again," Tampa Bay Times, July 25, 2024.
⁹ The Daily Mississippian, "Rumors Link Lane Kiffin To The Florida Head Coach Vacancy," October 2025.
¹⁰ Newsweek, "Lane Kiffin's Son Gives Telling Update on Coaching Rumors Before Ole Miss-Florida," November 10, 2025.
