The Billy Napier era met its end on Oct. 19 after UF’s 3-4 start to the 2025 season. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin has more than a few options that stand out as potential hires for the next Gators football coach.
Here’s a look at 15 potential hires, placed in tiers from most to least likely to happen:
Tier One - Probable Fits:
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin
Arguably the highest profile hire possible, Lane Kiffin has had a prestigious coaching career, but has never reached heights like he has thus far at Ole Miss. The former Tennessee, Southern California and Florida Atlantic head coach has a staggering 111-52 collegiate record and has gone 50-19 during his six year stint in Oxford, Mississippi.
While his Rebels have been top 25 fixtures, his 2025 Ole Miss team has reached as high as No. 4 in the nation, its highest ranking since 2015. Kiffin has consistently been rumored to take the Florida job, with ESPN’s Ryan McGee saying that UF boosters were going after Kiffin in 2024.
If Kiffin were to take the Florida job, it would mark one of the biggest hires possible for Stricklin, and one the fanbase has called for on multiple occasions.
South Florida head coach Alex Golesh
Alex Golesh made headlines Sept. 6 when his South Florida Bulls shocked the then-No. 13 Gators 18-16 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The USF head coach has transformed his program, boosting them into the Top 25 rankings for the first time in seven years while establishing them as a Group of Five favorite to make the College Football Playoff this season.
Golesh gained prominence while serving as the offensive coordinator for Central Florida in 2020, leading an offense that ranked second in FBS in total offense. He followed former UCF head coach Josh Heupel to Tennessee, where he served as offensive coordinator from 2021-22. At Tennessee, his offense earned back-to-back top seven finishes in the country, including the No. 1 ranked offense in 2022.
Since taking the USF coaching job in late 2022, Golesh has compiled a 20-13 record, turning around a Bulls’ program that went 1-11 before his arrival into consecutive seven win seasons. His USF offenses have also ranked top 35 in the nation in each year since his arrival. South Florida currently holds a 6-1 record and is ranked No. 18 in the nation.
Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz
Eliah Drinkwitz is no stranger to success as a head coach. With a 44-25 record over seven seasons at Appalachian State and Missouri, Drinkwitz’s teams have never missed out on bowl eligibility.
While Drinkwitz’s tenure at Missouri started out rocky with a 17-19 record from 2020-22, he has established the Tigers as an SEC contender over the past three seasons. In 2023, Missouri went 11-2, winning the Cotton Bowl over Ohio State and earning the head coach SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2023.
Missouri once again won double-digit games in 2024, going 10-3, and are on track for another wildly successful season as they currently sit at 6-1 and are ranked No. 15. Drinkwitz has also been floated as a potential priority option for Penn State’s coaching vacancy.
Tier Two - High-profile candidates:
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea
Clark Lea has taken former SEC bottom dweller Vanderbilt to new heights in his tenure in Nashville. The former Notre Dame defensive coordinator took the job in 2020, and while he only holds a 22-34 record in his five year tenure, his program has showcased new heights.
Despite losing records from 2021-23, the Commodores emerged seemingly out of nowhere to gain the spotlight. On Oct. 5, 2024, Vanderbilt shocked then-No. 1 Alabama 40-35, defeating the Crimson Tide for the first time in 40 years while earning its first ever win over a top five opponent. Vanderbilt finished the season 7-6, earning its first winning season since 2013.
Lea’s Commodores have taken yet another step in the 2025 season, starting 5-0 for the first time since 2008 and earning wins over then-No. 11 South Carolina and No. 10 LSU. Vanderbilt has a 6-1 record and ranks No. 10.
Washington head coach Jedd Fisch
Florida alum Jedd Fisch started his career in Gainesville, so it would be almost poetic if he returned back where it all started. A coach who has worked as assistants for multiple NFL teams, Fisch returned to the college game in 2021.
He holds a 28-31 record over five years as head coach of Arizona and Washington. In 2023, he led Arizona to a 10-3 record and an Alamo Bowl victory. In 2025, his Washington Huskies have been solid with a 5-2 record.
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key
Serving at his alma mater, Brent Key has seemingly made it clear he is content with his current job. However, it would be amiss to not mention a potential step-up for the Georgia Tech head coach who has pushed his Yellow Jackets to unprecedented success.
Since taking over as the interim head coach midway through 2022, Key led Georgia Tech to back to back seven win seasons in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, the Yellow Jackets have been flawless, holding a 7-0 record and cracking the AP top 10.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham
Another coach serving at his alma mater, Arizona State, Kenny Dillingham has established himself as one of the top young coaches in college football. After serving as offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon, Dillingham returned to Tempe, Arizona in 2023 to take the Sun Devils’ job.
Despite a rocky 3-9 start in 2023, Dillingham took an Arizona State team projected to finish last in the Big 12 Conference to a conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth, finishing 11-3. So far in 2025, his Sun Devils hold a 5-2 and have been in-and-out of the AP Top 25, and are now ranked No. 24.
Tier Three - Lower-profile candidates:
Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall
A coach who bleeds SEC, Jon Sumrall’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant coach at Kentucky and also was on Ole Miss’ staff in 2018. Over the past four years, he has coached at Troy and Tulane to extraordinary success.
In his two years at Troy, the Trojans won back-to-back Sun Belt Championships. Then, he led the Green Wave to a 9-5 record in 2024 and a 6-1 record in 2025. His overall coaching record is 38-10.
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold
Lance Leipold is no stranger to establishing a winning culture. After going 109-6 during his tenure at Division II Wisconsin-Whitewater, Leipold led then-struggling Buffalo to three straight winning seasons from 2018-20.
Since joining Kansas in 2021, Leipold has taken a program that lost 56 straight road conference games from 2009-21 to one of the most competitive teams in the Big 12. The Jayhawks sit at 4-3 in 2025.
Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell
One of the premier Group of Five coaches in the country, Jamey Chadwell has led both Coastal Carolina and Liberty to top 25 appearances in his coaching career.
In 2020, Chadwell led the Chanticleers to an 11-1 record en route to winning AP Coach of the Year honors. After joining Liberty in 2023, his Flames went 13-1, with their only loss being in the Fiesta Bowl to Oregon. The Flames are 3-4 in 2025.
Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann
The only coach on this list with no head coaching experience, Glenn Schumann has been a staple in Kirby Smart’s Georgia coaching staff since 2016. Since 2022, he’s been calling defensive plays, leading one of the top defensive units in the nation.
Schumann’s 2022 defensive group finished fifth in the country in scoring defense, spearheading the Bulldogs’ undefeated campaign. At just 35 years old, Schumann is destined to be the next head coach from the Smart coaching tree.
Tier 4 - Long shots:
Former Penn State head coach James Franklin
The last coach dismissed before Napier, James Franklin’s tenure at Penn State was plagued by his failure to win “big games.” However, Franklin seemingly won all his other games.
Franklin went 104-45 in his time at Penn State, including a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024. He was fired Oct. 12 after a 3-3 start to the season after being ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll. His buyout was worth over $49 million.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning
If any coach was on the market as a potential option, Dan Lanning would be an instant first choice. The former Georgia defensive coordinator has a staggering 41-7 record in his four year tenure at Oregon.
While he has previously said he has everything he needs to win a national championship at Oregon, The Sporting News’ Bill Bender says that a job like Florida might lure Lanning back to the SEC.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman
One of the top young coaches in college football, Marcus Freeman has been a revelation for Notre Dame during his tenure. He holds a 38-12 record and led the Fighting Irish to a National Championship game appearance in 2025.
After starting its season 0-2, Notre Dame has won five straight games, including wins over Southern California, Arkansas and Boise State.
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden
While he has never been a college football head coach, Jon Gruden has one thing that no one else on this list has: a Super Bowl title.
The Barstool Sports analyst said in August that he would “die to coach in the SEC,” and he has been gearing back up for a return to coaching. One thing is for sure: Gruden would bring plenty of entertainment to Gainesville.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his sixth semester at The Alligator and now serves as The Alligator's Football Reporter and is a junior sports journalism student. He previously served as The Alligator's Sports Editor, and served as reporter for women's tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. He wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and also loves niche professional athletes (shoutout Tomas Fleischmann).
