Florida Gators head coach candidate hot board after firing Billy Napier is loaded with high end talent

The Florida Gators have a bevy of talented options for their next head coach.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Florida Gators coaching candidates after firing Billy Napier include Dan Lanning, Lane Kiffin, and Jedd Fisch.

The Florida Gators have finally made the move that everyone has been begging for and fired head coach Billy Napier.

It took way too long to make this happen, especially after he ended up going 19-19 in his first three seasons. Jim McElwain was 22-12 when he was fired before his third season ended. Now that the inevitable has happened, who are the coaches likely to take his place at Florida?

There are a lot of candidates, but these make the most sense as the Gators look toward a new era.

Florida Gators head coaching hot board

5. USF HC Alex Golesh

If you can’t beat them, join them, right? Golesh is one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country. He was Josh Heupel’s offensive coordinator in Tennessee, making Hendon Hooker look like a draftable quarterback.

Golesh is in his third season at the helm for the Bulls and has led them to a 5-1 record with an explosive offense. Their only loss was at Miami, and they upset the Gators in The Swamp. It’s a similar move to hiring Napier, but his offensive prowess is at a significantly higher level, something that’s necessary at Florida.

4. Oregon HC Dan Lanning

He would be atop most lists, but he won’t leave Eugene. Even so, you still have to call on Lanning. The work he’s done in the short time at Oregon has been nothing short of impressive, including an undefeated Big Ten Championship season last year and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. With a win-loss record of nearly 6:1, that is exactly what the Gators could use in Gainesville.

You have to call and make him say no, but he’s not going to leave the Ducks.

3. Tulane HC Jon Sumrall

It’s not a sexy hire, especially coming from the G5 level like the Gators got when they hired Napier, but Sumrall is a different kind of coach. He’s a no-nonsense leader who turned Troy into a two-year juggernaut with a record of 23-4 before heading to Tulane, where he has a record of 14-6 going into year two.

Sumrall does have experience coaching in the SEC as an assistant, as he was at Kentucky from 2005-2006 and again from 2019-2021. Sumrall will be at the top of every head coaching hot list, and he is worthy of consideration.

2. Washington HC Jedd Fisch

Fisch has a great situation in the Pacific Northwest with the Huskies. After righting the ship with the Arizona Wildcats, Fisch has the Huskies humming with the trio of Demond Williams, Jonah Coleman, and Denzel Boston. While Washington is a great situation, it’s not Florida.

The Gators have the kind of resources that don’t exist at Washington. Plus, Fisch is an alum, which would make this the one job he would be more prone to take the Gators’ job over any other.

1. Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin

This is the no-brainer for the Gators. Not only does he model himself after Steve Spurrier, he’s a quote machine with an elite offensive system. The Gators’ fanbase has been craving an explosive offense from their head coach.

It’s been the one constant with the three National Championships in the last 30 years. Kiffin would have more resources at Florida and a stronger recruiting base at Florida.

Honorable mentions

  • Syracuse HC Fran Brown: He’s done a fantastic job at Syracuse, and with the right resources, could elevate the Gators to another level.
  • Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman: Another coach on the list of “you have to make him say no.” Freeman is thriving at Notre Dame and is highly unlikely to leave, but you never know.
  • Arizona State HC Kenny Dillingham: A big money offer could sway him, but he’s at his alma mater. It will be hard to get him out of Tempe.
  • Georgia DC Glenn Schumann: The Bulldogs’ defense hasn’t been elite this season, but Schumann’s been one of the top assistant coaches in the nation for the last few years.
  • Former Penn State HC James Franklin: He’s just Napier with success. The lack of winning the big game has followed him for a decade plus.
  • SMU HC Rhett Lashlee: He’s taken SMU to the College Football Playoff and made them a perennial contender in the ACC in a very short time.
  • Oregon OC Will Stein: He’s run a very successful offense with varying levels of talent at the quarterback position. He would be a good option to maximize DJ Lagway.
  • North Texas HC Eric Morris: This would be a HUGE risk, but the upside play could be huge. Morris is an offensive guru with a great eye for quarterback talent, as he found Cam Ward as a zero-star recruit playing in a Winged-T offense, and helped recruit Patrick Mahomes as a three-star. It would be hard to sell to the fanbase, but the upside is massive.

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