Florida coaching search: ESPN names five candidates to replace Billy Napier

On Sunday, Florida fired head coach Billy Napier. Shortly after the announcement, ESPN released its top five candidates to be the Gators’ next head coach.
Florida fired Napier despite the Gators defeating Mississippi State 23-21 on Saturday. Billy Napier was in his fourth season at Florida. He finished his time in Gainesville with a 22-23 overall record and a 12-16 mark in conference play.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin pointed to the university’s high standards when discussing their decision to fire Billy Napier. Let’s examine who ESPN believes could be next in line to take over the Gators’ storied program.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Lane Kiffin is a familiar face in the SEC, with stops at Tennessee, Alabama and, currently, Ole Miss. The offensive mastermind is known for his up-tempo style and could provide plenty of laughs for Florida fans off the field, as well.
Kiffin is in his sixth year at Ole Miss, where he’s amassed a 50-19 overall record and a 28-17 mark in conference play. While the Rebels suffered a loss to Georgia this past weekend, they’re in a far better position than the Gators.
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
Eli Drinkwitz’s time at the helm of Missouri has been nothing short of astounding. When Drinkwitz took over the program in 2020, Missouri hadn’t had a 10-win season since 2014. In the past two seasons alone, the Tigers have amassed 21 victories.
Like Kiffin, Drinkwitz has a standout personality off the field that Florida fans could rally behind. In December 2023, Drinkwitz signed a contract extension through 2028 with Missouri. He would owe the university $5 million if he left without cause before Dec. 1, 2025. That number would drop to $4 million after Dec. 1.
Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Rhett Lashlee turned heads last season when he led SMU to an ACC Championship appearance in its inaugural season in the conference. Lashlee also guided the Mustangs to their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history.
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While Florida would be competing with other SEC programs to poach Kiffin or Drinkwitz, it could have an easier route competing against a less established program like SMU. In November of last year, Lashlee signed a contract extension with SMU, but the details are not public.
Jedd Fisch, Washington

There are few coaches in the country who understand quarterbacks better than Jedd Fisch. His talents are of obvious interest to a program like Florida, which is expected to return quarterback DJ Lagway for his junior season next fall.
In 2021, Fisch was hired to help a struggling Arizona program make a turnaround. In short order, Fisch rebuilt the team and led them to a 10-3 record in the 2023 campaign. He replaced Kalen DeBoer at Washington in 2024 and the Huskies are 5-1 to start this season.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman is one of the most promising young coaches in college football. At only 39 years old, Freeman led Notre Dame to the national championship last season, falling short against Ohio State.
However, with Freeman being so young, many fans believe it’s only a matter of time until he returns to grand stage. Perhaps he could flourish at Florida. Freeman has never coached at an SEC school before, but there’s little doubt he’d be a name Florida donors would support.