College Football HQ

Top 5 best candidates to be Florida's next coach if Billy Napier is fired

With pressure mounting on Florida head coach Billy Napier, here is a look at the top potential candidates to be the Gators' next hire amid the latest college football rumors on the coaching carousel.
Jonathan Adams|
Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh talk before the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh talk before the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

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Florida Gators

Unless Billy Napier pulls off the unthinkable with several upsets, Florida could soon be looking for the program's next head coach. Florida would be on the hook for Napier's $19.3 million buyout if the Gators make the move at the end of the season, per CBS Sports.

Coaching the Gators is a powerhouse job, but the gig is not without its challenges. With the introduction of the NIL era plus the expanded playoff, the Florida job may not have some of the advantages the Gators used to possess.

There is also the reality that the next head coach will have to play Florida's brutal schedule, something Napier has been unable to overcome. Don't worry Gators fans, there are still plenty of candidates who will want to be the next Florida head coach.

Here's a look at the top potential candidates for Florida to explore if Napier is eventually fired.

No. 1 USF HC Alex Golesh

Florida got a firsthand look at Alex Golesh as USF upset Florida at The Swamp. The Gators could take a second look if the program undergoes a coaching search.

Golesh already knows how to recruit the state of Florida, and that is without the Gators' resources. There are sure to be critics of hiring Golesh given Napier was also a Group of 5 head coach before being hired by the Gators.

The South Florida coach is not without Power 4 experience with his previous stops including being an assistant at Tennessee, Iowa State and Ohio State among other stints.

No. 2 Arizona State HC Kenny Dillingham

Arizona State hit the jackpot with Kenny Dillingham, a Sun Devils alum who does not appear to be refreshing Linkedin looking at job postings. Dillingham may be content in Phoenix, but the Gators would be wise to at least put in a call.

Could the appeal of being an SEC coach in a fertile Florida recruiting hotbed be enough to lure Dillingham away from his alma mater? As Dillingham proved last season, Arizona State provides an easier path to the College Football Playoff than Florida.

Yet, Florida could provide Dillingham with more resources to be a perennial championship contender.

No. 3 Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin

No one knows a coaching search quite like Lane Kiffin, but Ole Miss represents the coach's longest stop of his career. Ole Miss gives Kiffin an SEC job without quite the same pressure that the Florida job presents.

Kiffin has still admitted to exploring previous openings like Auburn. Kiffin continues to be floated as a potential candidate at Florida if the school makes a move.

The Gators have a long history of hiring offensive-minded head coaches, and few are better in college football right now than Kiffin.

No. 4 Tulane HC Jon Sumrall

The former Kentucky player continues to be linked to SEC programs, even ones like his alma mater that do not currently have a vacancy. Jon Sumrall has not shown an eagerness to leave Tulane as the coach has created a potential path to the College Football Playoff that may be much more challenging elsewhere.

It is still fair to wonder if Sumrall will eventually want to coach in a top confernce. Sumrall would give Florida a no-nonsense coach with a strong track record of winning.

No. 5 Ex-Raiders HC Jon Gruden

This is a bit of a wild card as Florida may be prefer to hire someone with more college football head coaching experience. Jon Gruden would be an outside the box hire for the Gators, but their conventional moves in recent years have not exactly paid dividends.

Gruden has become a massive media presence over the last year, dropping hints about his potential interest in being a college football coach. It is easy to imagine Gruden being an elite recruiter, and fans are already familiar with the coach as a ball knower.

Gruden has a bit of a cache in the state of Florida given his strong tenure as the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. All Gruden did is lead the Bucs to the team's first Super Bowl win in franchise history.

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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