Five Potential Candidates to Assume Florida's WR Coach Vacancy
Photo: Billy Napier; Credit: Zach Goodall
Coaching turnover is a frequent occurrence in the college football sphere, one that is seemingly growing more popular with each passing year.
In the current climate, movement around the sport is a constant, and Florida is dealing with those moving pieces at an unprecedented rate this offseason.
Not only did the program endure the transfer of 22 scholarship athletes and ten draft entries, but it's also suffering from losing three assistant coaches after Billy Napier's first year at the helm.
Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney went first, lured toward the west coast for a gig with the Arizona Cardinals. Tight ends coach William Peagler followed him to Glendale.
One day later, Florida took arguably its biggest hit as wide receivers coach Keary Colbert left for the Denver Broncos.
Now, just under a week until spring practices commence on March 4, the Gators will have to find three assistant coaches willing to step into the fire of readying a unit freshly removed from a 6-7 campaign. Reports regarding Florida's fix to the lone vacancy on the defensive side of the ball have suggested the spot is filled, although the program hasn't released an official statement.
As a result, moving into the spring, the most important spot to fill comes at the wide receiver position.
The talented 40-year-old is a tough loss for the Gators staff, given the impressive recruiting and development track he takes with him to the NFL.
Responsible for the production of Michael Pittman Jr., Amon Ra St. Brown, Drake London and others during his three seasons at USC, he quickly grew into a hot commodity on the coaching market before eventually landing at Florida in the 2022 offseason. He immediately elevated the Gators in his lone year with the team. First, he played an instrumental role in bringing in top wideout Ricky Pearsall, then helped get the most out of Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson in an alarmingly thin pass catcher's room.
The resume he accumulated earned him a look from Sean Payton when he arrived at Mile High, resulting in his departure on Thursday.
That begs the question: Who is available and qualified to assume his former spot at Florida?
All Gators presents five potential options to fill the opening.
Justin Stepp
A step(p) in the right direction.
There aren't many targets on the board that could equally match what Colbert's done during his collegiate coaching career to adequately fill the void.
However, there are a few options. South Carolina's Justin Stepp is at the top of that list.
Spending two seasons under Shane Beamer at SCAR, Stepp played a vital role in senior Josh Vann's production in 2021 — reeling in career-high numbers with 43 receptions, 679 yards and five touchdowns — and Antwane "Juice" Wells Jr.'s impressive acclimation to the SEC in 2022.
Stepp spent three seasons at Arkansas before his stint with the Gamecocks, continuing to produce as a recruiter and developer. He is credited with aiding former first-round pick by the Tennessee Titans, Treylon Burks. Prior to that, Stepp spent three seasons at SMU, molding now-Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton for the professional stage.
He's a familiar face to Florida's head coach, playing at Furman (2003-06) as a wide receiver one season after Napier departed from the Paladins before working on staff together at Clemson during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
It is unknown whether the Gators have reached out to Stepp with a serious offer at this point. But, if they do, it would be a promising hire to ensure the WRs remain on an upward trajectory.
Eric Kiesau
Promoting from within is always an option.
While the hire would be underwhelming, namely due to the large shoes Colbert leaves behind, Eric Kiesau, 50, does present the experience needed to step into the fold if Florida looks to remain internal with its appointment.
He's spent over two decades in the coaching market, circulating as a wide receivers coach since his start at Utah State in 2000. His most notable experience was four seasons as a wide receivers coach at Boise State and Auburn while also calling plays under former Broncos and Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin.
Falling hard with Harsin in their short time with the Tigers, the former SEC play caller still showed value to join Florida's staff this offseason as an offensive analyst. It was a reunion for Kiesau and Napier, who spent a season together at Alabama in 2015. Napier served as the Crimson Tide's WR coach, and Kiesau as an offensive assistant.
It may have come at the right time, given the unexpected turnover, to allow him to step back into an on-field role faster than expected at a prominent institution.
Kiesau is also being considered to assume Florida's TE coaching vacancy despite having no experience coaching the position, making this promotion option two for the former Auburn OC.
David Doeker
The unproven piece to this puzzle.
It won't be Florida's first option, but it's undoubtedly on the table.
If the Gators look to go the internal promotion route, and Kiesau comes off the board to assume the new tight end coach role, Florida could turn to current graduate assistant David Doeker to lead the pass catchers into the future.
It would be his first opportunity as a position coach after spending four seasons in quality control under Napier at Louisiana and Florida. The promotion would likely be met with skepticism due to his inexperience, resulting in this likely being a name further down the shortlist of candidates.
However, after recently landing on the Our Coach Network's 30 under 30 list for rising stars in college football — earning recognition for his contribution to Florida's relative wide receiver success a year ago — Doeker could be viewed as a viable option by Napier, given the familiarity between the two. He would also present some continuity for the position as Colbert's former right-hand man.
Jeff Scott
The splash hire.
The Gators could use a home run hire to bolster the coaching and recruiting departments of the operation, and Jeff Scott provides just that.
Serving as a key member of Clemson's impressive run of national championship appearances and wins in the mid-2010s, Scott spent nearly a decade as the Tigers' WR coach and co-offensive coordinator. His development track includes players like DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams, with wins on the recruitment trail like Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross and other high-caliber prep talents.
He then earned the head coaching gig at USF, where he looked to bring a sharp young offensive mind and elevated recruiting to the Bulls in Tampa, Fla. The stint was a failure, culminating in a 1-11 season in 2022, but that didn't stop Napier from speaking glowingly of Scott when the two faced off in Gainesville in week three.
"Jeff's a football guy. He's been in football families the entire time. His dad, Brad Scott, was a phenomenal coach and a great mentor to me early in my career," Napier shared. "He's got a great offensive mind. He's very organized, very much a CEO, got a good business mind, and a guy that I think is one of the bright young coaches in the game."
Florida's rumored to be in contact with Scott since Colbert's departure, but he hasn't expressed interest in the position after returning to Dabo Swinney's Clemson staff following his firing as South Florida's head coach.
But, if Florida looks to replenish the recruiting and development experience Colbert brought to the unit — and upgrade in overall oversight of how the offense operates — Napier could remain persistent in his efforts to align with Scott. However, earning his services would likely require relinquishing offensive coordinator duties.
Dallas Baker
A trip back to the future.
Florida could give Baylor WR coach Dallas Baker a hard look for a potential reunion to fulfill what seems an undying need for nostalgia from the fanbase.
A former national champion at the University of Florida as a player, Baker has garnered some support on the wish list to fill the current void from those on the outside.
He's spent seven seasons as a wide receiver's coach at the collegiate level, including stops at Marshall, Buffalo and, currently, Baylor. However, Baker sits as a lesser qualified outside candidate than the other contenders, lacking the production or recruiting history that falls on the same scale as Stepp and Scott.
As a result, the hire is an improbable outcome during the Gators' coaching search, as Florida will likely look within before taking an unproven assistant from elsewhere, but it's still an option to keep an eye on, given the storied history between the two parties.
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