Morgan Wallen Steve Spurrier walkout video from Gainesville
See the moment Morgan Wallen walked out with former Florida football coach Steve Spurrier during his concert at The Swamp.
MIRAMAR BEACH — Lane Kiffin was pursued by Florida football before eventually leaving Ole Miss for the head football coaching job at LSU.
To Kiffin, the process wasn’t a reflection on the Florida Gators football program. It was more about what LSU had to offer.
“A lot goes into those decisions,” Kiffin said. “They’ve got a great program. It really was not about them it was about LSU, how it fit, the timing of everything, so it really wasn’t about the other program. It was specifically about LSU.”
The 51-year-old Kiffin wears a visor as an ode to former UF coach Steve Spurrier, whom he idolized growing up. Kiffin was viewed as an heir apparent to Spurrier because of his combination of swagger and offensive acumen. He also had a family connection as his ex-wife, Layla, grew up in Gainesville and was the daughter of the late John Reaves, a former UF quarterback.
“There was a lot that went into it, a lot of conversations and (Florida) is an amazing program with great history,” Kiffin said. “Just weighing everything out I made a decision. You are not going to please everybody in decisions and that’s impossible, obviously it played out and we went through all kind of different things, options. We made the decision for the next chapter.”
Florida turned to former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, who has won over UF’s fanbase with his energy and demand for toughness from his players. Sumrall hired former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner as UF’s new OC after he led the Yellow Jackets to the 11th-ranked offense in the nation in 2025.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
