Florida Gators coach Billy Napier survived the college football hot seat last year after the team closed the season with a four-game winning streak, including victories over LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State. However, with the program seemingly failing to take a step forward in 2025, a change could be on the horizon.
If Napier is fired, Florida would have the most coveted job in this year’s college football coaching carousel. With that in mind, let’s examine some potential Gators coaching candidates.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin has been a popular candidate for prominent Power 4 coaching vacancies, but each time he has turned those opportunities into a lucrative contract extension to stay with the program. Since being hired in December 2019, Kiffin has delivered three seasons with double-digit wins for Ole Miss. For comparison, the program had only three such seasons total from 1971 to 2015.
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Kiffin has already demonstrated a strong recruiting track record in the South, including Florida. He also brings extensive SEC coaching experience, both as an offensive coordinator and head coach, delivering three seasons with five or more conference wins. Hiring Kiffin would give the Gators a better chance of convincing quarterback DJ Lagway not to enter the transfer portal, given Kiffin’s success with quarterbacks. With the resources Florida can offer, becoming the Gators’ head coach might prove lucrative enough for Kiffin to finally leave Ole Miss.
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri Tigers
SEC head coaches should be a bigger priority in identifying Gators coaching candidates. Florida rolled the dice on poaching Napier away from Louisiana in November 2021, and it backfired. Four years later, it’s time to give consideration again to head coaches with a proven track record in the best conference in college football.
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Eli Drinkwitz has helped return the Missouri Tigers to national relevance, bringing the program to a frequency of wins it enjoyed under coach Gary Pinkel in the Big 12 Conference. He inherited a Mizzou program in 2019 that imploded under Barry Odom. While it took time for Drinkwitz to turn things around—posting a 17-19 record in his first three seasons—he has since led the Tigers to a 21-5 record over his last two full seasons.
Drinkwitz doesn’t have the SEC ties nor the recruiting prowess of Kiffin, but that is where Florida could provide him with the recruiting pipeline and a lucrative pool for his coaching staff to turn this program around.
Jedd Fisch, Washington Huskies
One way to make boosters and alumni more willing to back their favorite program is by hiring an alum. Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch graduated from the University of Florida, where he sought to learn from Steve Spurrier. He later joined the Gators coaching staff as a graduate assistant (1999–2000), then spent years bouncing around the NFL and college football as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
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Fisch landed his first head-coaching gig with the Arizona Wildcats in 2021, taking over a team that went 9–20 in three seasons under Kevin Sumlin. He had to completely rebuild the program, going from a 1–11 season in 2021 to a 10–3 season in 2023. Hired by the Huskies to replace Kalen DeBoer, he took over a roster that lost most of its key starters to the NFL.
Fisch landed his first head-coaching gig with the Arizona Wildcats in 2021, taking over a team that went 9–20 in three seasons under Kevin Sumlin. He had to completely rebuild the program, going from a 1–11 season in 2021 to a 10–3 season in 2023. Hired by the Huskies to replace Kalen DeBoer, he took over a roster that lost most of its key starters to the NFL.
Jon Sumrall, Tulane Green Wave
While Power 4 coaches should draw more consideration when determining Gators coaching candidates, there are a few head coaches working for smaller schools that deserve consideration. South Florida coach Alex Golesh is on that list, but it feels a little early to roll the dice on him. Instead, we’re focusing on Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall.
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Sumrall, age 43, came up the ranks at Tulane as a co-defensive coordinator (2012-’14) before stints with Ole Miss (2018) and Kentucky (2019-2021). He landed his first head-coaching gig at Troy, replacing Chip Lindsey after the team posted a combined 15-20 record in three seasons. Sumrall had instant success, getting Troy into the top 25 college football ranks in his first year and posting a 23-5 record in two seasons.
He had big shoes to fill, replacing Willie Fritz, especially after the former Tulane coach brought a lot of the talent with him to Indiana. It’s a testament to Sumrall’s coaching ability that he still delivered a nine-win season. While Sumrall’s defensive background would be a change of pace for Florida, it might be the change that the program needs.
James Frankin, Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin could certainly stay with the program, especially if they can reach the national championship game this season. However, if the Nittany Lions fall short again, the Florida Gators could be an alternate path for Franklin. For one thing, it would allow him and his family to spend more time in Florida, where they already live during the offseason. Furthermore, getting the Gators back to their previous heights would be a massive boost for his legacy at a time when questions remain about his ability to win against top programs. Penn State would certainly make it a bidding war for Franklin’s services, but given the Gators’ last season with double-digit wins came in 2019, it’s time for the school to be aggressive.
