Next Florida Gators Football Coach: Who Replaces Billy Napier in Gainesville?
The writing might officially be on the wall for fourth year Florida head coach Billy Napier, who dropped to 20-20 for his career in Gainesville over the weekend after the Gators dropped an ugly home game to in-state foe, South Florida, 18-16.
The loss, which came as an 18.5-point favorite over the Bulls at college football betting sites, could prove to be the breaking point for UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin to move on from his embattled football coach. One issue in doing so, however, is Napier’s buyout, which is reported to be $19.38 million (should he be fired after the season), per the team at CBS Sports.
Regardless of when Stricklin pulls the plug, the team at Bookies.com has been hard at work coming up with an odds board of candidates to replace Napier at UF, with the man who just beat them sitting in the top spot right now.
| Name | Current Position | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Golesh | South Florida head coach | +225 (30.8%) |
| Dan Lanning | Oregon head coach | +275 (26.7%) |
| Eli Drinkwitz | Missouri head coach | +700 (12.5%) |
| Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss head coach | +750 (11.8%) |
| Nick Saban | Former Alabama head coach | +2250 (4.3%) |
| Mario Cristobal | Miami (FL) head coach | +3000 (3.2%) |
| The Field | — | +1000 (9.1%) |
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Who Replaces Billy Napier At Florida? A Look At The Candidates
Alex Golesh (USF head coach): +225
Golesh has to be one of the most interesting men in college football. Hailing from Moscow, the 41-year-old has bounced around as an assistant, with stops at Ohio State, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Toledo, Illinois, Iowa State, UCF and Tennessee.
The final two stops put him in the orbit of former UCF and current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, who has gone 39-15 in Knoxville since arriving in 2021, resuscitating a down-and-out Volunteers program.
While we’re not expecting Heupel himself to jump ship to one of UT’s biggest rivals, we are riding high on his former offensive coordinator to do just that, as Golesh has a real shot at parlaying a hot start into a bigger job in 2025.
On the heels of consecutive 7-6 seasons that saw the Bulls pick up wins in the Boca Raton and Hawaii bowls, Golesh might achieve newfound heights this fall, with USF sitting at No. 18 in the latest AP poll and getting a shot to knock off fifth ranked Miami on the road come Saturday afternoon.
For now, we’re going with the third-year coach at USF as our top prospect to replace Napier as the head coach at Florida, though there’s no shortage of contenders right now.
Related: 2025 First College Football Coach Fired Odds
Dan Lanning (Oregon head coach): +275
While one has to wonder how much interest Lanning has in leaving Eugene, with the Oregon Ducks sitting fourth in the latest AP poll and on pace to make another CFP run, it’s hard to say no to the biggest conference in college football.
That’s especially true for Lanning, who has achieved a whole lot at the age of 39, with stops as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Georgia, along with GA roles at Alabama and Arizona State and a two-year sojourn as the linebackers coach at Memphis.
The other thing that might inspire Lanning to go for greener pastures is the fact that Oregon’s main gridiron benefactor, Nike founder Phil Knight, is 87, leaving some to wonder how well the Ducks program will be looked after once ‘Uncle Phil’ passes.
Either way, we’re going with Lanning as a top contender for any SEC-level opening until proven wrong, with the fourth year Oregon coach coming in at No. 2 (for now) on our UF odds board, though things can change quickly as the sport’s silly season approaches this winter.
Eliah Drinkwitz (Missouri head coach): +700
If Stricklin is looking for an unsexy but solid hire, then the sixth year head coach of the Missouri Tigers might be another intra-SEC candidate to consider. Drinkwitz, who looks more the part of an accountant than a major level football coach, has elevated UM’s program from the doldrums of .500 level play to consecutive double-digit win seasons, going 11-2 with a win in the Cotton Bowl in 2023 before finishing at 10-3 and 5-3 in SEC play last fall.
The 42-year-old Oklahoma native has no coaching experience in the Sunshine State, with NCAA stops at Auburn, Arkansas State, Boise State, NC State and Appalachian State, but there’s no denying that Drinkwitz has proven himself to be an excellent program builder during his time in Columbia.
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Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss head coach): +750
One of college football’s greatest source of energy has been the 50-year-old lifer who made waves by jumping between jobs at the NCAA and NFL ranks, going from the Oakland Raiders to the Tennessee Volunteers and back to the USC Trojans between 2007 and 2013.
Lately, it seems like Lane’s figured things out, off and on the field, with the enigmatic sideline figure sitting still at Ole Miss from 2020 onward, going 46-18 in Oxford with a 3-2 record in bowl games during that stretch.
Still, it’s hard to see Kiffin turning down a shot at one of the crown jewels in the CFB coaching circuit, which is why we’ve included him on this list, as the allure of posting three 10-win seasons in four years is strong, though the pull of coaching in ‘The Swamp’ might, in fact, be stronger.
Nick Saban (Former LSU & Alabama head coach): +2250
We’re not foolish enough to think that one of the greatest coaches in college football history will jump at the first job that comes knocking. That said, it’s hard to see Saban sitting idly by if an SEC opening like Florida’s is presented to him.
For now, we’re putting Saban in as a proverbial long shot to replace Napier in Gainesville, though one can truly never say never whenever Nick Saban’s name is attached.
Mario Cristobal (Miami head coach): +3000
This one’s the longest of longshots, as Cristobal came to Miami in 2022 as a homecoming present to his alma mater, having desired to return ‘The U’ to prominence after his success with Oregon from 2018 to 2021.
That said, Florida alums have deep pockets and would likely jump at the opportunity to score a decisive coaching win while dealing a major blow to one of the school’s primary non-conference rivals.
Still, we’re putting Cristobal at the end of our odds board for a reason, as it’s hard to see the 54-year-old leaving Miami anytime soon, especially given the Hurricanes current No. 5 spot in the latest AP poll.
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