Robert Griffin III Thinks Florida Should Hire Tim Tebow As Its Next Head Coach

As the head coaching search continues to heat up for Florida, ESPN college football analyst Robert Griffin III decided to throw his opinion into the mix of who it should be—Tim Tebow. 

"They have to think outside of the box for the next head coaching hire," he said on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Friday. "And the word out there [that] Dan Mullen wasn't in love with recruiting, he wasn't in love with the process of those things. But who's really going to out recruit Nick Saban, Kirby Smart and Jimbo Fisher, right? 

"So, if you throw Tim Tebow in there, surround him with structure, have about three or four previous head coaches on his staff to help him figure out the vision of his program, that's going to bring excitement to the Florida Gators. It's going to have players be intrigued, excited about going into Gainesville and recreating that culture they had oh so long ago." 

Griffin III cited Deion Sanders as an example of how this kind of structure has been successful but also acknowledged that Tebow has zero coaching experience. 

"But, coaches don't need to be X's and O's guys," Griffin III said. "They have to be motivators, and that's what Tim Tebow does best."

Tebow played at Florida from 2006-09, leading the Gators to the 2008 National Championship and winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007. He went on to spend three years in the NFL before leaving for baseball and signing with the Mets organization in September 2016. He retired from the sport in February 2021. 

Louisiana coach Billy Napier has emerged as the lead candidate for the position, sources told Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde. The Gators fired Dan Mullen last week after a loss to Missouri, which dropped their record to 5–6. Mullen is owed $12 million in buyout money.

Florida currently leads Florida State at the start of the fourth quarter.  Bowl eligibility is on the line for both programs. 

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