Steve Spurrier recommends two head coaches as Florida's backup options to Lane Kiffin

While the Lane Kiffin coaching sweepstakes has grabbed the attention of college football, former Florida coach Steve Spurrier sees plenty of depth in the coaching search. In an appearance on the Another Dooley Noted Podcast, Spurrier discussed non-Kiffin coaching candidates who could fit well with the Florida Gators.

Spurrier's picks

Spurrier offered significant praise for Bob Chesney of James Madison and Jon Sumrall of Tulane. Spurrier praised both coaches as coaches who "win consistently." He later noted, "Sometimes one of these coaches ends up being better than a big-name hire." Interestingly, both coaches are defensive coaches, while Spurrier and Florida coach Urban Meyer, who have been the most successful Gator coaches, were offensive innovators.

Chesney resume

Chesney is a defensive-minded head coach who hails from the Northeast and has spent most of his career coaching in that region of the country. He followed Curt Cignetti at James Madison and is 19-5 with the Dukes in two seasons. He has recently been elevated to a prediction market favorite for the Penn State job, which might be more in keeping with his prior regional footprint.

Sumrall resume

Sumrall is also a defensive coach who does have more experience within the SEC footprint. Sumrall hails from Alabama, played at Kentucky, and then coached at both Ole Miss and Kentucky as an assistant coach. He's in his second head coaching role, having started at Troy and then jumped to Tulane after two seasons. He is 41-11 in his four seasons of head coaching and has won at least nine games each season. Sumrall has been tied to jobs from Florida and LSU to others like Arkansas. His SEC experience and slightly more time as a head coach has made him a viable candidate on several jobs.

Gator struggles

Florida has battled uneven results since the end of Urban Meyer's tenure in Gainesville. The Gators won the 2008 national title and barely missed a 2009 repeat. Since then, Florida has just four 10+ win seasons and has not finished higher than sixth in the final AP poll in any season. Florida is finishing its sixth losing season in the past decade.

National coaching search impact

Lane Kiffin has remained the big-money coach on the market. With James Franklin quickly taking the Virginia Tech job, the focus seems likely to shift to Group of Five coaches or other upwardly mobile young coaches. Sumrall or Chesney would likely each work for significantly less than the $13 million per year asking price reported in the Kiffin sweepstakes.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall got credit from former Florida coach Steve Spurrier as a potential pick for the Gators in their coaching search. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images