Lane Kiffin lays out criteria for quality coaching job, says ‘blue bloods’ still have inherent advantages

Lane Kiffin is the hottest name on the college football coaching carousel. If he wants to leave Ole Miss, Kiffin will get to pick between some of the top programs in the country, and he already has a checklist for what makes a great job.

Rumored to be the top priority for Florida’s vacancy, Kiffin was asked about what makes a “good” college coaching job at his Monday press conference, just days before the Gators roll into Oxford.

In a lengthy answer, the sixth-year Rebels coach said the days of worrying about “facilities” or “practice fields” are long gone. NIL and revenue sharing have changed the college football landscape, and Kiffin said as much, drawing comparisons to “baseball and the payrolls.” Those with the most money win more often than not.

However, even in the era of teams firing money cannons at the transfer portal and high school recruiting, Kiffin admitted that the “blue blood” programs still have inherent advantages over everyone else.

“People will say it’s narrowed, and some stuff has narrowed because you can’t stockpile [talent] at those blue bloods, or however you want to refer to it,” Kiffin said. “But there are still things where you’re gonna struggle to beat those guys because kids get recruited, and they see the size of stadiums, traditions, Heismans and national championships. Then your location to talent. I think all of those are in there.”

Florida just happens to be one of the few programs that checks all of those boxes. The Swamp seats just shy of 89,000 fans, the Gators have three national championships and three Heisman Trophy winners, and Florida is one of the most talent-rich football states in the country.

Now, there are other schools that meet those criteria as well, including an LSU team in the midst of its own coaching search. Alabama, Texas and Ohio State all fit the bill when discussing those blue bloods.

Does that mean Kiffin would immediately jump ship for those jobs if they came open tomorrow? Not necessarily, but by Kiffin’s own admission, those programs have a leg up on others. If he wants to coach with those advantages on his side, Florida would certainly be a fit.

For the moment, though, Kiffin’s focus is on defeating the Gators. With Ole Miss at 8-1 and No. 6 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, the first playoff berth of Kiffin’s tenure in Oxford is well within reach.