Florida coaching candidates

Penn State was the first major domino to fall in the current coaching carousel; Florida was right behind them. It was expected that Florida would fire Billy Napier heading into the bye week.

The fan base had grown restless, and despite bringing in big recruits like he was hired to do, Napier couldn’t turn it into winning enough on the field. The obvious question is, who’s next?

Who can take advantage of the talent that’s there and the upgraded facilities that have made Florida a more attractive job market than ever before?

For this, we’re looking at five candidates in two different categories. There are the obvious top two that the administration and fans want, and when I say want, I mean they are likely planning to limit their search to these two candidates.

But what if they both say no? That brings us to the second tier of candidates that Florida would/should look at.

Tier One: Who they want

No. 1: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Head Coach

Kiffin is the name that Florida will make the biggest run at, and there are already reports that they have made him a lucrative offer. Florida is desperately trying to get back to its heyday of the Steve Spurrier era.

No one embodies Spurrier in Florida fans’ eyes more than Kiffin. He’s a brilliant offensive mind who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and talk trash.

The question is whether he’s willing to leave Ole Miss. He’s won 10-plus games the last two years, and he has a team that will likely be in the college football playoff last year, which only further complicates this potential move.

Kiffin has also been clear that he is happy in Oxford for reasons outside of football. Is that something he’s willing to leave to take a chance at Florida?

No. 2: Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri Head Coach

Drinkwitz is also an offensive mind that talks trash. He won’t bring as much excitement to Gainesville as Kiffin, but he is far and away the second choice.

Missouri’s road to the playoffs will be much tougher than Ole Miss’s, which would make Drinkwitz easier to hire with the modern age of recruiting and the transfer portal.

Drinkwitz will also likely be a candidate for the Penn State job. If he is willing to leave Missouri, which job would he prefer? Is it simply about who can make a better offer, or will he prefer one over the other?

Tier Two: If Both Say No

No. 3: Jedd Fisch, Washington Head Coach

Fisch did a tremendous job turning around Arizona, going from one win in year one to 10 in year three. He then left for Washington, which has seen significant improvement from year one to year two.

Florida is a better job than Washington, and Fisch is a Florida alum. He’s shown he can do more with less by turning around Arizona. What could he pull off with the resources and talent pool that Florida offers?

No. 4: Alex Golesh, South Florida Head Coach

Speaking of doing more with less, if you’re Florida administrators, don’t you have to give a look to a guy who came to your building and beat you earlier this year?

Golesh was the offensive coordinator at Tennessee when they had the top offense in the country before taking his first head coaching job in Tampa. He turned South Florida into a tough line of scrimmage team and has shown he can compete with bigger programs with less talent.

The fact that Florida would be hiring someone in the state who has worked in the SEC should mean good things to come in recruiting as well. Give Golesh better recruits and resources, and let him go to work.

No. 5: James Franklin, Former Penn State Head Coach

Franklin went on College Gameday and said he’s excited to coach again and that his goal is now to win a national championship somewhere else. Florida provides that opportunity, and it’s likely an attractive job for Franklin since he already owns a home in the state.

The rumors about Franklin possibly going to Florida have circulated, but would his record in big games deter them from giving him an offer?

What Franklin can sell them on is that he has worked in the SEC and won nine games at Vanderbilt two years in a row, something that was even harder to do when he was there than it is now.

Jacob Rudy is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jar7371@psu.edu.