Bruce Feldman lists seven candidates in the running to be Florida's next head coach

One of the worst kept rumors in recent college football history became a reality on Sunday. The Florida Gators fired Billy Napier in the midst of his fourth season in Gainesville. He was able to save himself temporarily, but ultimately met the end of his rope. Even though Florida beat Mississippi State 23-21 less than 24 hour prior, word of Napier out of a job started eariler in the week.

Florida might be one of the toughest places in college football to coach right now. The resources and recruiting are top-notch. However, the recent success with the basketball program turning out a national championship put football as a backup right now. Not a good look for the SEC and put them on par with Kentucky. 

FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman made a case for seven candidates to replace Napier at Florida in his most recent article for The Athletic. 

Billy Napier is out at UF. Who do the Gators who have won three national titles in the past 30 years, go after now? Our analysis of the Florida search from Kiffin to Fisch to Franklin: https://t.co/nZOxALMHHr

Who's next up in The Swamp?

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin 

Feldman says he'll "Evoke memories of Florida legend Steve Spurrier with his brash nature." But there is more than confidence to add in the situation. Kiffin seems comfortable at Ole Miss and has built the program as his. That could mean more than chasing a payday.  The "Rebels have finished in the top 11 in three of the past four seasons. They’re 6-1 this year with a legitimate shot to make the Playoff, which could muck up the timing if he is very interested in this job," Feldman added.

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Washington head coach Jedd Fisch 

A Florida alum who broke into coaching under Spurrier. "He loves Florida, and he has some strong connections there," Feldman said. "Fisch did a remarkable job turning Arizona from awful to 10-3, and the Wildcats finished No. 11 in his third and final season there, in 2023. He’s gotten traction at Washington in less than two years on the job."

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz 

While there is no true connection to Florida here, Feldman points out Drinkwitz's success at Mizzou. "He’s been outstanding in six years at Missouri. Drinkwitz, 42, is 27-6 in the past three seasons. Would he be tempted to jump, given the Gators’ national title pedigree, compared to Missouri, where the Tigers have had only four top-15 seasons in almost 50 years?"

Former Penn State head coach James Franklin 

Frankin back in the SEC? Except this time he would be with a much bigger program with the same level of expectations. The freshly fired coach who struggled in big games could be one of the first interviews. "He hit a ceiling at Penn State, but he led a program that was reeling from NCAA sanctions when he inherited it, and had five top-10 finishes in a decade," Feldman said. We'll see if Franklin doubles back into coaches or goes the safe route in broadcasting. 

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee 

If this was Arkansas with Jerry Jones pulling the strings, this would be a no brainer. However, as Feldman highlights, "I don’t think it’s a given he’d leave what he has in Dallas." SMU is friendly for Lashlee. But if there was ever a time for Lashlee to make a big jump, it's now.

USF head coach Alex Golesh 

This will be one of the biggest names during the upcoming cycle. The next good coach deserves a shot at the next level. But will they give a lower-level coach another crack after Napier? They're already paying two previous coaches and Golesh could be the safe hire for the school's bottom line. 

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