Lane Kiffin an Early Favorite to Become Gators’ Next Coach
The news of Billy Napier’s firing after a 23-21 win over Mississippi State swept through Gator Nation on Sunday.
Napier is the fourth-straight coach to be fired by the University of Florida following the Urban Meyer-era in Gainesville. None of the coaches lasted more than four seasons, each received a multimillion-dollar buyout, more than $21 million in Napier’s case. Wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales will serve as the interim coach.
BetOnline released its early odds of who will be the next head coach of the Gators. The odds:
Lane Kiffin +200
Kiffin, the coach of the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels (6-1), seems to be the consensus favorite by fans. Kiffin has a long and successful track record as a head coach and offensive assistant. Will he be willing to leave what he’s built in Oxford though?
Jeff Brohm +300
Brohm, the coach of No. 19 Louisville (5-1), is second. He has turned around the Louisville program, but has yet to capture an ACC title for the Cardinals. Still, he’s a favorite after upsetting Miami last Friday. If you are looking for bowl success, Brohm is 6-2 as a head coach.
Loading ...James Franklin +600
Franklin, who was recently fired at Penn State, appears at third. Franklin’s Nittany Lions fell to 3-3 a year after making it to the College Football Playoff semifinal. Would Florida take a shot on Franklin who is a known program rebuilder, but seemingly fails when the lights are the brightest?
Eli Drinkwitz +700
Another SEC coach appears fourth, with Missouri’s Drinkwitz. The No. 15 Tigers (6-1) have looked good in the past two seasons, but does the 42-year-old Drinkwitz, a younger mind, take his chances at UF given its recent head coaching history, rather than continue to build up Mizzou?
Marcus Freeman +800
Same thing goes for Freeman, the successor to Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, now ranked No. 12 at 5-2. The runner-up in the 2024 National Championship Game had a rocky start in 2025, but is that enough to jump ship to the SEC?
Urban Meyer +900
Meyer at +900 is ridiculous at first sight. Meyer is 61 years old and seems to be enjoying his role with Big Noon Kickoff. Can the former Florida coach adapt to this new era of college football anyway? Look at his short-lived stint with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. This feels exactly like the West Virginia Mountaineers, hiring Rich Rodriguez after he left them following a great run in the 2000s. Look at how that’s going for them now.
Rest of the Field
For +1000 odds and up, let’s break it down by the numbers.
Four of the coaches are in the Group of Five (Golesh +1200, Sumrall +2000, Monken +4000 and Chadwell +5000).
Now fans may be turned off by the idea of hiring another group of five coach given how Napier turned out, but Indiana seems to be well after the hire of Curt Cignetti. Google him, he wins.
Six of the coaches are in the Power Four (Fisch +1000, Key +1200, Dillingham +1400, Lashlee +1600, Lea +2800, Campbell +3300, Lanning +5000). Their programs seem to be in a really good spot, multiple coaches made the CFP last year or expected to make it this year.
Yes, Florida has great resources and a history of winning, but once again is the risk of leaving the program you built behind worth it?
Especially Lanning, who reportedly turned down the Alabama job last year to remain with the Ducks.
The remaining coach, Brady +2200, is the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. The 36-year-old is a great offensive mind, but can he take on the challenge of running a college program let alone one in the Power Four, let alone a SEC team, let alone the Gators.
So there you have it, that’s the early odds and the candidates behind the numbers.
A lot of this is also dependent on who Penn State, another highly-regarded job, hires.
So who will ultimately end up at the helm for the Gators? Only time will tell.
Category: College Football, Gators Football, NCAA
