Two More Candidates Sign Extensions, Removed from Florida's Coaching Search

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz and Vanderbilt’s head coach Clark Lea have reached agreements with their respective programs on new deals this week, with each receiving substantial salary increases, according to multiple reports.

These extensions mean there are two fewer coaches for the Florida Gators to target for their vacancy at that position, with Drinkwitz and Lea both being names floated around for the Florida head coaching job.

Florida vetted Drinkwitz, but he was ultimately removed from the running earlier in the process. That sat well with the fans, too, who felt he was not the right man for the job. Lea was also vetted and even interviewed for the job, according to On3’s Chris Low on X, but nothing came to fruition as the Gators are still awaiting an answer from another coach.

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz was linked as a candidate early in Florida's coaching search but was removed. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The two are the second and third candidates to remove themselves from the search as Tulane's Jon Sumrall reportedly removed himself from the candidate pool after a planned meeting with UF was leaked.

However, There has really only been one candidate for the Gators in their search, and that is Ole Miss’s Lane Kiffin, who has been linked to the job in various capacities since 2021.

The last few weeks in Florida’s chase for Kiffin have been a roller coaster. There was early optimism regarding their chances of landing the experienced head coach. Only Florida and Ole Miss were considered options for Kiffin despite several high-tier jobs opening up this fall.

That was until the LSU job became available. Once the Tigers moved on from Brian Kelly, they instantly threw their hat in the ring, which leads us to today. Over the past few weeks, it has been a three-way battle between Ole Miss, Florida and LSU for Kiffin.

Unfortunately for the Gators, they are not sitting pretty, based on media noise. That does not mean all is lost. Kiffin is known for his trolling and indecisiveness, which means there is still a path for him to end up in Gainesville.

More information on his decision on his future is expected on Saturday.

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin is expected to choose between staying with the Rebels or leaving for either Florida or LSU this weekend. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

If he does not sign with the Gators, though, the program has been doing its homework on other options.

Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Washington’s Jedd Fisch and Sumrall, despite his reported removal from the pool, are names to monitor over the coming week or so for the opening, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

"My sense is we will have a wide variety of candidates," athletic director Scott Stricklin said after firing Napier. "We want people who can win championships at the University of Florida. That's going to be our goal. We want somebody who can come in here, be a strong leader and win championships. And, like I said, there's probably people from a lot of different backgrounds that could have the potential to do that."

The difficult part for Florida with one of these names is whether or not the coach is willing to move on from their alma mater. Brohm is a Louisville alumnus and is doing well with the Cardinals, potentially providing the Gators with some pushback.

As for Fisch, he has ties to the University of Florida, which makes the case for his leaving very simple. Come back home and coach one of the SEC’s best programs when everyone is on the same page.

Maybe Florida’s preferred candidate is not even on this list. With them using search firm TurnkeyZRG to aid in their search, there have been few reports coming out from their side on how everything is shaking out for them. That leaves the potential for a surprise candidate on the board.

Nonetheless, the Gators hope to wrap up this search soon, with Early Signing Day on the horizon and many of their recruits still being pursued by other programs.

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