Billy Napier’s job security is in jeopardy for the second straight season.
No. 13 Florida lost 18-16 to South Florida on Saturday in a stunning upset at The Swamp that might be irreversible considering the Gators’ tough schedule in 2025.
This was the same spot we were in last season after the Gators started 0-2 with losses to Miami and Texas A&M. Florida finished 8-5, however, and that seemingly gave Napier some room heading into 2025.
Now, Florida faces an uphill climb to get back into contention. Napier is 20-19 with a 10-14 record in SEC play, and the Gators face No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Miami the next two weeks.
The Gators have six more ranked opponents on the schedule after that. Napier bought some time by winning four of six games at the end of last season. Did that time run out Saturday?
Here are some potential candidates for the Florida job.
MORE: How much did Florida pay USF for home game?
Florida coaching candidates to replace Billy Napier
Dan Lanning, Oregon coach
Lanning, 39, might look like the second coming of Steve Spurrier to Florida fans. He’s 37-6 since taking over at Oregon – one of four schools with a winning percentage above 85% along with Ohio State, Georgia and Michigan. Lanning isn’t afraid to take jabs at other coaches, and he learned as a defensive coordinator under Kirby Smart from 2019-21. Lanning has repeatedly said he has everything needed to win a national championship at Oregon, but would the allure of the SEC be too much to turn down?
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss coach
Kiffin, 50, has found his coaching rhythm at Ole Miss, where he is 46-18 and has built a program capable of College Football Playoff contention. Kiffin has learned from past exits at Tennessee and USC. Love him or hate him, Kiffin can coach offense, work the transfer portal and develop quarterbacks. He would be able to win at Florida. Would he have a better chance at winning a national title in Oxford or Gainesville? That is a question he will have to answer.
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Jedd Fisch, Washington coach
Fisch, 48, is good with quarterbacks. He worked wonders with Noah Fifita at Arizona, and he would be a popular choice given he went to Florida and was a GA under Spurrier for two seasons. He has a good crossover background between college and the NFL, and leaving Washington for Florida would not be out of the question after just one season. Fisch is 24-29 as a head coach, but those Spurrier roots might make a difference in this search if Lanning and Kiffin are not interested.
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri coach
Drinkwitz, 42, would be a polarizing hire – but he also has some Spurrier-esque qualities in the press conferences that would play well in Gainesville for the first few seasons. He has built Missouri into a top-25 team, and that has come with a strong use of NIL and the transfer portal. The Tigers and Gators have split the last four meetings, and Drinkwitz has built a complementary team with an exciting offense and strong defense. That is a formula that has worked in Florida in the past.
Lance Leipold, Kansas coach
Leipold had a dominant record at Wisconsin-Whitewater in Division III from 2007-14. He was 109-6 with six national championships. He’s 61-62 between stints at Buffalo and Kansas, which might seem great until you consider the programs. He can pair quarterback play with a strong running game, and at 61 years old there is time for one more big move. Is that the best long-term option for Florida? Kansas is 1-1 and has faded a bit the last two seasons.
Alex Golesh, South Florida coach
If you can’t beat them, then hire them? Golsesh, 41, was the offensive coordinator at Tennessee from 2021-22 with Hendon Hooker, who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting that season. The Bulls are 9-6 and gave Alabama fits the last two seasons. Golesh runs an up-tempo offense, but is he that different from Tulane’s Jon Sumrall? Golesh’s stock has never been higher after early-season victories against Boise State and Florida. Is this the move?
Will Urban Meyer return to Florida?
Meyer, 61, won two national championships at Florida in 2006 and 2008. He was 83-9 from 2005-10, a run that was dominant with Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow but was also marred by 31 player arrests. Meyer won a third national championship at Ohio State in 2014.
A reunion would be complicated, but there is no question Meyer was an elite college football coach with Florida and Ohio State before a rough NFL stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars that incredibly lasted less than one season. Meyer is an analyst on the Big Noon Kickoff – and a good one at that. This is a long-shot at best and we don’t see it happening. But the fact Meyer and Leipold are the same age is a reminder that at least a conversation might be worth a try.