Steve Spurrier hints at non-Power Four coaches for Florida if Lane Kiffin says no

Steve Spurrier believes there are a lot of good options out there to be the next Florida football coach. Although the Gators have clearly made Lane Kiffin their top candidate, they have to be prepared for the possibility that he chooses to go elsewhere.

If that is the case, Spurrier named a couple of candidates at Group of 5 schools who he has his eye on. Speaking on Another Dooley Noted Podcast, the former Florida coach highlighted James Madison coach Bob Chesney and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.

“There’s a lot of good coaches out there that might not be coaches in the Power 4 right now,” Spurrier said. “The guy at James Madison, the guy at Tulane. There’s a lot of really good one that have consistent records for winning. If we end up with one of those coaches, he may be better than the big name coaches. We don’t know. You just don’t know.”

Sumrall has been a popular name for multiple job openings in the SEC, including Florida. He has spent the past two seasons with Tulane after coaching at Troy for two years and has an overall record of 41-11 as a head coach. He also brings SEC experience after working as an assistant at both Ole Miss and Kentucky in the past.

As for Chesney, he is in his second season at James Madison after taking over for Curt Cignetti. He’s kept the Dukes winning, going 19-5 so far across his first two seasons as a head coach. That includes a 10-1 record this year as James Madison sits in first place in the Sun Belt.

Whoever takes over in Gainesville will have their work cut out for them. Florida is currently in the midst of a 3-8 season and, if it loses to Florida State to close the regular season, will finish with its fewest total wins since 1953.

Once an SEC power, the Gators have not seen more than eight wins in any season over the past six years. The focus is getting them back to the top of the conference and contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff on a yearly basis.

In a perfect world, Kiffin would be the person to do that after having already turned Ole Miss into a playoff contender. But if he isn’t available, which is a good possibility, these other options are still very solid.