by: Sam Gillenwater 6 hours ago samdg_33
Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin is the hottest name on the coaching carousel in college football. That also applies to the pros too, with Josh Pate being the latest to reference him as a candidate who could consider the NFL.
On ‘The Colin Cowherd Podcast’ on Wednesday, Pate was asked if he thought that Kiffin would consider moving up into the National Football League. He said yes, and that he isn’t the only big-name college coach who would do the same.
“Yeah. I think he is (considering the NFL). I think several of them are. I think there’s some names considering the NFL that would totally and completely put jaws on the ground if the names ever got public. I think these guys are always considering the NFL. Now, you’d never get the truth out of most of them, but, yeah,” said Pate. “I mean, look. You know the kind of mentality it takes to succeed at the highest level of college football, especially if you specialize on a side of the ball. It goes hand in hand with the kind of mentality that thinks I could win the NFL, I could win on Sundays. I want to test myself against the best. I want to see how my offense does.”
“But, yeah, I think he would consider it,” said Pate. “I think they actively consider it all the time.”
Pate also noted a factor being Kiffin’s history in the NFL. He was unsuccessful as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for 20 games, over a season and a half in 2007 before his midseason firing in 2008, with a record of 5-15 (.250). That could, if he is considering a return to the next level, motivate him more to want to do it.