Who Will Replace Billy Napier? Florida’s Coaching Search Begins
Billy Napier is out as Florida football head coach.
Now, the logical first question to ask is, “Who is going to replace him?”
For a few weeks now, fans have already started rumors about potential candidates to take over the seemingly cursed job at Florida (3-4, 2-2 SEC). Some are realistic; others a little less. For now, wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales was named the interim coach.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement Sunday that the Gators will search for a coach who meets the “standards and expectations for Gators football are to win championships — not simply to compete.
“The timing also allows us to conduct a thoughtful, thorough, and well-informed search for our next head coach. We remain fully committed to utilizing every resource available to identify the right leader to guide Gators Football into the future. I will conduct the search with a high degree of confidentiality to protect the privacy of those involved. The search will focus on the hiring of an elite football coach who will embody the standard we have at the University of Florida, and we will continue to provide all of the necessary resources for that coach, his staff and the players to be successful.”
Here’s a list of options to be hired as the next head coach of Florida Gators football.
Who the Fans Want
Jon Gruden
Gruden has been out of the coaching game since resigning from the Oakland Raiders head coaching job in 2021 during an NFL investigation into vulgar emails sent by Gruden.
During his time in the NFL he won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was known for his ability to turn around an offense. In his second stint with the Raiders, he forced the best years out of quarterback Derek Carr. Carr threw for over 4,000 yards in each of the four years under Gruden, a feat he was unable to accomplish before or after the coach’s tenure.
Gruden had a brief job as a coaching consultant with the Saints in 2023, but has mostly stuck to media appearances since then. He runs a YouTube channel where he sits down with NFL quarterback prospects and has frequent appearances on Barstool social media pages.
For fit, this is a little bit of a long shot. Yes, the offense as been the point of issue for Florida since Napier was hired, but will Gruden be able to adapt to the new college football atmosphere and does he even still want to coach? Young Gators quarterback DJ Lagway could benefit from a coach like Gruden, but this candidate feels a bit of a stretch.
Loading ...Lane Kiffin
Kiffin is the head coach at SEC opponent No. 8 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1). He’s had years of experience in the SEC and has proven he can win in the conference. He even led the Rebels to an 11-win season for the first time in program history in 2023. Similar to Gruden, his offensive mind is attractive for Florida. Ole Miss would have made the college football playoff in 2024 if not for the upset loss at Florida. He also had quarterback Jaxson Dart selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Hypothetically, the fit makes sense. Florida has the money to create a championship-caliber roster around Kiffin’s offensive mindset and can hope to have DJ Lagway at the helm of that success. He also has experience with recruiting in Florida from his time at FAU. The issue would be taking him out of Oxford, where he has built a strong program and has cemented his personal life. The draw for Kiffin would be the prestige of the Florida Gator brand and the funds he’d have available. It’s not a hire Florida fans should expect.
Dan Lanning
Lanning is the head coach at an Oregon program that has taken off since his hiring and the introduction of NIL in college sports. The No. 6 Ducks (6-1) were taken down by the eventual champions Ohio State in the college football playoff last season and had a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback in Dillon Gabriel.
With the strength of the NIL collective at Oregon in recruiting and the transfer portal, it will be difficult to attract Lanning to Gainesville. The pull of the SEC isn’t as strong as it used to be. The Big Ten has won the first two championships in the expanded college football playoff and Lanning’s Ducks are still looking to be at the top of that conference. Florida may not be as attractive a destination for Lanning as fans may expect with the reputation of the SEC.
More Realistic Options
Alex Golesh
The USF coach and previous Tennessee offensive coordinator came into The Swamp and started Florida’s downward spiral this year. He has the No. 18 Bulls (6-1) as one of the favorites to make the college football playoff from the group of five. That’s more than a few boxes ticked: SEC experience, head coaching success and offensive prestige. Golesh has dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown looking like one of the top players in the country this year. Just the thought of him being able to unlock a similar level with Lagway’s legs should excite all Florida fans.
It’s a realistic hire that makes sense. Golesh would be looking to get into a power conference after his success in the group of five and the SEC is the pinnacle. The offensive weapons and NIL power of Florida will allow him to create a strong attack in Gainesville.
Jon Sumrall
Sumrall has had Tulane rolling since his hiring in 2024. The Green Wave went 9-5 last season and are now 6-1, including an impressive win against Duke. He also won two straight conference titles with Troy in 2021 and 2022. Sumrall got the praise of Kiffin when the two faced off in Week 4, saying the Tulane coach will coach in the SEC next year. He is also rumored for the Kentucky coaching job, but Florida would be more attractive to compete immediately.
He is less experienced than most on the list, but could be the next big thing for the Gators. Gator fans didn’t have a great experience with a group of five coach for a team in Louisiana, but maybe the second shot will hit.
Marcus Freeman
Freeman is in his fourth full year as a head coach, and he’s done it well on the biggest stage. He brought Notre Dame to the national championship game last year and has a 37-11 record over the past four years. He has brought the No. 12 Fighting Irish (5-2) brand back to what it once was. He has improved every year and is one of the brightest young coaches in college football.
The question is why Freeman would leave the biggest brand in college football, especially when he’s having success. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for him to leave the program at the peak of his tenure for a Gators program that hasn’t had a 10-win season since 2019. The appeal for Florida makes sense, but the attraction might only go one way.
Who Florida Should Target
Jedd Fisch
Fisch took over for Kalen DeBoer at Washington when he was hired as the coach at Alabama. In less than two years he has had a pretty strong showing in developing his own system and team. Fisch is a strong candidate for the Florida job because he has history with the team and has had success at a power five team. He graduated from the University of Florida and spent a year as a graduate assistant under coach Steve Spurrier. Despite a 6-7 record at Washington in his first season, the Huskies have started 5-2 this season and have built a squad in his image.
Fisch has been rumored for the head coaching vacancy at UCLA as well, where he spent time as the offensive coordinator and interim head coach. Even with limited wins at Washington, his time at Arizona was successful, leading the Wildcats to 10-3 in his final season there and a final ranking of No. 11 in the AP poll. With five years of solid experience recruiting and competing in a power five conference, Fisch would be a great fit for the role at Florida.
Brent Key
Key has been the head coach at Georgia Tech since 2023 and has seen a lot of success. With limited talent on the roster he has boasted upset wins like last season against No. 4 Miami and this season against No. 12 Clemson. He has Yellowjacket quarterback Haynes King looking like a fringe Heisman candidate. He’s led No. 7 Georgia Tech (7-0) to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2014.
Key could tap into the Florida offense with the talent available to him. He’s had success in the ACC with little roster talent and the next step would be a job in the Big Ten or SEC. Key was extended this past year for five years by Georgia Tech so it may be difficult to lure him away, but the promise of talent and the NIL funds available at Florida may be enough to convince Key he can compete for a national championship in Gainesville.
James Franklin
Franklin was recently let go from the Penn State head coaching position after a 12-year tenure. In that time, Franklin rebuilt a team ravaged by the fallout of the Jerry Sandusky situation and had a 104-45 record. He got Penn State to consistent 10-win seasons and a Big Ten championship. The Nittany Lions even made the college football playoff semifinals just last year. Franklin has had a successful stint in the SEC as well. He coached at Vanderbilt for three years and led them to back-to-back 9-4 seasons before getting the Penn State job.
Franklin went on College Gameday on Saturday and said he’s ready to coach another team to a national championship after the recent firing. Known as a program builder, Franklin could be a good fit to get a historic program with plenty of resources in Florida back to consistently competing. The narrative that Franklin doesn’t win big games should be beside the point for the Gators. They need to get back to competency before they can worry about the big games they criticize Franklin for, and he will get you to that point no matter what.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, SEC
