September is typically a hot month in Florida, but the temperature in Gainesville has been rising meteorically since the Gators’ 41-17 loss to the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday.
The head coach hot seat underneath Billy Napier is reaching scorching levels after Florida sustained the first home-opening loss since 1989 and surrendered the most points in the same situation. After three straight losing seasons — two under Napier’s tutelage — the margin of error for failure is razor-thin this season for Florida’s skipper.
Throw in the hardest schedule in college football, which also might be the most difficult slate of games in the last couple of decades, and the recipe for pain is nearly complete.
The rumors around Napier’s tenure are beginning to permeate the sports media, with USA TODAY Sports’ Matt Hayes throwing out five potential replacement options Gator Nation should be considering.
5 potential head coach candidates
Lane Kiffin
Hayes begins with the Ole Miss Rebels’ current head coach Lane Kiffin. However, he notes “The stronger Ole Miss becomes, the less chance anyone has of hiring him.”
Kiffin has been a low-key fan favorite for the job since before Napier was hired, and his success in Oxford has only fanned those flames. However, he has a good thing going where he is, and would probably require a pretty penny to pry away.
Jedd Fisch
He offers Jedd Fisch of the Washington Huskies as his second option, but asks, “Would he leave Seattle for his alma mater after one season?” The answer to Hayes’ quasi-rhetorical question seems like a “yes” given his connection to the school and the program.
However, despite the strength of the Gator Nation, it could also depend on the roster situation in Gainesville as well. If Napier flounders and the team sees a mass exit via the transfer portal, it might not be an inviting environment.
Eli Drinkwitz
Third on the list is Eli Drinkwitz, the Missouri Tigers skipper who has made waves by trolling the Gators in the past. “If Tigers reach the College Football Playoff, it will be difficult to convince Drinkwitz to leave,” Hayes points out.
This pairing seems fairly unlikely. Drinkwitz has something going in Columbia that would take multiple seasons to achieve again in Gainesville. Especially moving across the conference, it seems like a lateral move at best for him.
Bobby Slowik
Hayes offers Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as his fourth option. “He’s 37, he’s a brilliant offensive mind/quarterback coach, and five-star freshman quarterback DJ Lagway needs a reason to stay.”
His point about retaining Florida’s coveted signal-caller is an important one. If there is a changing of the guard, it is reasonable to expect the program will accommodate the five-star talent in any way possible. This also makes Kiffin a favorable candidate as well.
Lance Leipold
Last, but not least on Hayes’ list is Lance Leipold of the Kansas Jayhawks: “The program builder (and NCAA lower division championship coach) would finally get his blue-blood job.”
Leipold represents one of the blander options — but bland has been Florida’s brand since Scott Stricklin took over. Whether or not the fan base can stomach another “program builder” is also a major issue with this pick, especially after the stretch of futility Florida has seen this decade.
Next up for the Gators
The Gators will get a chance to even their 2024 regular-season record against the Samford Bulldogs on Saturday inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.
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