Paul Finebaum unloads on SEC athletic director after Sunday’s coaching decisions

SEC Nation host Paul Finebaum stares down a live alligator | Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Following months of speculation and rumors, some SEC head football coaching vacancies were finally filled this weekend, or reportedly so. Auburn appears to be circling in on Alex Golesh, Arkansas with Ryan Silverfield, Florida with Jon Sumrall and LSU with Lane Kiffin. They're all partnered for prom, seemingly.

On Sunday morning following reports of many of those coaching hires, plus a full Week 14 slate of action, ESPN's Paul Finebaum and Matt Barrie got together to debrief the chaos. For them, one school besides Ole Miss stuck out as a big loser in their eyes — at least in the terms of how the coaching search was handled. That was Florida.

The Gators are set to bring coveted Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall back to the SEC after he served under Mark Stoops as a linebackers coach at Kentucky just a few years ago. Though Sumrall was an expected top Auburn target and Florida nabbed a hot name nationally, they did miss on Kiffin and hired a coach that Finebaum and Barrie believe isn't different enough from Billy Napier.

"I am stunned that the University of Florida allows Scott Stricklin to lead its athletic department," Matt Barrie admitted to Finebaum, lamenting the lack of success in the school's most important sport. "Big picture, great, Florida Basketball won a national championship. No one gives a damn about college basketball in Gainesville. It’s a great story. Congratulations."

In Gator country, it's all about that pigskin. "It’s a football town," adds Barrie. "It’s a Steve Spurrier town. It’s an Urban Meyer town. And the fact that they’ve let this guy butcher this to this extent is absolutely stunning to me. This dude still has a job on Sunday morning."

That's a tough takedown by Matt Barrie. But poor Scott Stricklin didn't receive much sympathy from Mr. Finebaum, either.

Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin and former head football coach Billy Napier talk before a game | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

"Yeah, this is where Matt, I could add to what you said or just let it ride, because I don’t think there’s anything that can be added to what you said," Finebaum responded, adding his own spin on just how bad the previous hire was. "I can only say this, that Strickland’s decision to retain Napier last year with the enthusiasm and the glee just shows how wrong he was about the initial Billy Napier hire. It was never going to work."

Paul just isn't seeing Sumrall as all that different of a hire than the previous failed regime.

"And John Sumrall, assuming that he's the coach, will only prove one thing for the University of Florida: They were able to beat Auburn for the guy Auburn wanted. I don’t know what else improves because I don’t know how Jon Sumrall fits there. He fit Auburn very well. I’m not sure anybody fits Florida."

Paul Finebaum is most certainly not very all-in on this Florida Gators leadership or the fit with the head coach they've just hired, who fit very similar background criteria as the man they just fired.