“Don’t mess with happiness” is sage advice for two successful college football coaches these days.
With schools such as Penn State, LSU, and Florida already in search of head coaches, and Florida State likely to join that list in December, the carousel is in overdrive. Head coaches Lane Kiffin of the Ole Miss Rebels and Eli Drinkwitz of the Missouri Tigers are already being mentioned as candidates. They would be wise to stay put.
All four schools above have high self-esteem and compelling histories. But recency and the new dynamics of college football mean that past results do not guarantee more of the same. Indiana, Vanderbilt, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, and many other schools are evidence of college football’s new era.
Oct 18, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates after his team beat the Auburn Tigers in overtime at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Credit: Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images
Kiffin is the hottest property in college football and has transformed Ole Miss into a national power. Mississippi (7-1, 4-1 SEC) is in its most successful era in program history. Kiffin, a charming rogue and master of social media trolling, is a beloved figure in Oxford. He can do no wrong in the eyes of fans and donors.
Drinkwitz inherited a dispirited Mizzou program and has the Tigers playing at a level not seen since the peak of the Gary Pinkel era over a decade ago, which was the best in Missouri history. Although he can be an eccentric goofball, that is part of his charm in Columbia, Missouri. Drink’s personality may not play as well at a haughty school that is full of itself.
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After failing to produce a winning record in his first three seasons, Drinkwitz was given a fourth year in 2023 and went 11-2, beating Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. The program has taken off (6-2, 2-2) and is now a perennial Top 25 team and College Football Playoff contender.
Drinkwitz should be mindful of how Mizzou gave him the extra year that he needed. He will not get such special treatment anywhere else, especially in this current era. On Labor Day, you could have gotten Powerball odds on Penn State, Florida, and LSU firing their coaches before Halloween. Yet that is what they did.
Kiffin and Drinkwitz have great situations where they are. Both schools have ramped up investments in facilities, staffing, salaries, and NIL. They have appreciative fans, donors, and administrators who they know well. If they leave, they will face the demanding expectations of strangers for immediate championships.
What Is So Great About Penn State?
It would likely stun most fans that Penn State’s last national championship was in 1986, following its first in 1982. Certainly, Penn State is a double-digit-win program that can claim Big Ten titles. But it is not at the historic level of Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, or other power brands.
Happy Valley is in a remote location that is difficult to get to, which turns off many potential recruits and their families. Also, it has a unique culture that many prospects are not enamored of. Ultimately, these factors have proven to be the difference in Penn State being a very good but not great program.
What Is So Great About Florida?
Plenty of observers will claim that the Florida Gators’ job is the best in college football. But its fan base is among the most fickle and impatient in the sport. Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer won national championships at Florida, yet were worn down by its fans and had to leave. Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen won division championships yet were run out of town far too soon.
While recruiting is said to be easier for the Gators based on an annual bumper crop of in-state talent, every school in the country mines Florida for talent. Additionally, Miami-FL and Florida State are two Power Five competitors for in-state talent.
Florida is a potential SEC beast, but has had to make up for lost time with investments in the program. There is little evidence that it has fully caught up.
What Is So Great About LSU?
LSU is the only Power Five Program in a state rich with talent. But it has a highly volatile and emotional fan base that will turn on a dime with any coach, including national champions Les Miles and Ed Orgeron.
The Bayou Bengals are the type of program that will rise every few years for a serious look at the national championship, only to fall back afterward. LSU has never sustained success at the level of Alabama or Ohio State.
Another factor to consider is the unique internal politics of the school and state, which rival Auburn for craziness.
What Is So Great About Florida State?
Florida State’s last national title was in 2013, which was its third since 1993. But from there, the Seminoles have struggled with a combination of playing catch-up on investment issues and believing their brand was powerful enough to escape the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State learned the hard way that the Big Ten and SEC felt no attraction or need for its program. And its current home of the ACC is not an attractive brand for recruits.
Current head coach Mike Norvel used the transfer portal to go 13-1 in 2023, but his lack of recruiting caught up to him, and the program has imploded over the past two years. Florida State (3-4, 0-4 ACC) wants to fire Norvell, but donors are not yet opening their checkbooks. That is expected to change at year’s end.
Caveat Emptor
Lane Kiffin and Eli Drinkwitz know what they have and are in an excellent position for success and happiness by staying put. Leaving for the Fool’s Gold of Faded Glory programs would be unwise and potentially disastrous.
