Even after Florida’s late-season surge in 2024, Billy Napier wanted a robust encore, whereas navigating one other brutal schedule, to safe his long-term future as Gators coach.
After one other gradual begin that featured losses to South Florida, LSU and Miami, Napier could not dig himself out of the canyon this time. He was fired Oct. 19 with a remaining document of 22-23 in Gainesville.
For the fifth time since City Meyer retired in December 2010, Florida is in search of a brand new head soccer coach. The job has its clear upsides — proximity to recruits, fan and monetary assist in addition to the flexibility to compete for nationwide championships — however the teaching churn in Gainesville is plain. Meyer gained large there however just for a comparatively brief interval. Florida had three straight AP top-6 finishes underneath Charley Pell and Galen Corridor within the mid-Eighties. In any other case, Steve Spurrier is the one coach to construct a sustainable winner with the Gators.
Florida gave Napier the required assist to raise this system and made clear features in recruiting. Coaches who’ve confronted the Gators the previous two seasons repeatedly praised the expertise on the roster. However issues by no means got here collectively for lengthy stretches underneath Napier, as Florida did not make the 12-team School Soccer Playoff final season and wasn’t going to this season.
Athletic director Scott Stricklin obtained a contract extension this summer season and might be deciding on his third soccer coach. How a lot energy he really has within the rent is a query looming over this search. Florida has but to make the CFP, and actually must get this one proper. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin had been thought-about the highest candidate, but it surely was reported on Nov. 28 that Florida was transferring away from Kiffin. Here is our up to date listing of candidates:
Candidates | Transfers | Recruits
5 candidates for the job
Tulane coach Jon Sumrall: Would Florida take into account one other Group of 5 candidate from Louisiana after Napier? Sumrall and Napier are definitely completely different sufficient, however Florida must get previous their comparable profile. In Sumrall, Florida will get a confirmed winner at two colleges — Tulane and Troy, the place Sumrall gained consecutive Solar Belt titles — who has a robust persona and hung out within the SEC each as a participant (Kentucky) and as an assistant (Kentucky and Ole Miss). Sumrall, 43, is also on Auburn’s radar and might be within the combine at Ole Miss with Kiffin leaving. However Florida’s location and sources may excite him a couple of transfer there.
Washington coach Jedd Fisch: Few coaches have hopscotched across the school and NFL map fairly like Fisch, who at 49 has labored for seven NFL groups and 6 school squads because the 2002 season. He got here to Washington as extra of a long-term play after reviving Arizona’s program with a 10-win season in 2023, but when there have been a vacation spot job that existed for Fisch, it could be Florida, his alma mater. He hung out as a pupil assistant and a graduate assistant with Spurrier, and has labored within the state as an offensive coordinator for Miami and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Washington definitely does not need to lose one other proficient coach so quickly, however the faculty’s hesitancy to completely again Fisch financially may result in his departure. Fisch has constructed up a robust younger nucleus at Washington and is 14-10 there.
USC coach Lincoln Riley: After shedding out on Kiffin, Florida would possibly need to take one other large swing at an offensive-minded coach with even higher credentials. Riley led an improved USC workforce this season however nonetheless did not make his first School Soccer Playoff look with the Trojans. He has ESPN’s No. 1 recruiting class coming in and an opportunity to take one other step subsequent fall, and this week reiterated that he is in the best place at USC. However it’s not a secret that issues have not been great behind the scenes in Los Angeles, and a contemporary begin at a program like Florida could possibly be interesting. Riley, 42, holds all the playing cards due to his sizable contract. Even the Florida followers who needed Kiffin would acknowledge that Riley — who gained 4 straight Massive 12 titles and reached the CFP every year — has completed rather more as a head coach.
Louisville coach Jeff Brohm: He offers Florida two issues it has lacked up to now decade: an undeniably enjoyable and dynamic offense, and the flexibility to win the largest video games. Sure, Louisville has cratered down the stretch, persevering with a sample underneath Brohm of shedding to inferior opponents. However his groups all the time have an opportunity, as evidenced by a 4-4 document in opposition to AP top-five opponents, together with a street win in opposition to Miami this season. Brohm, 54, is sweet with quarterbacks and intensely artistic at designing his offense. Florida followers would love to observe it. Additionally they would possibly have to reside with the occasional drop-offs. Brohm is 92-56 as an FBS coach.
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key: He is a Georgia Tech man and, till lately, had his alma mater positioned for a run on the ACC title and this system’s first CFP look. Key would not depart for simply any job, however he must take into account a program like Florida. Key, 47, grew up in Alabama and has spent his complete profession within the Southeast, together with greater than a decade within the state of Florida at UCF in varied roles. Key’s 26-16 at Georgia Tech as a first-time head coach, and has thrived in large video games with a 7-1 document in opposition to ranked ACC opponents. He would convey a transparent recruiting imaginative and prescient and an strategy primarily based across the line of scrimmage to Florida. — Adam Rittenberg
5 essential gamers to retain
QB DJ Lagway: Can the following head coach preserve Lagway in Gainesville? The sophomore QB has been extraordinarily loyal to Napier and invested in increase this system with him. The retention of Lagway in all probability might be a serious precedence for whomever takes this job. Lagway has struggled this season, rating final amongst SEC starters in QBR (56.7) and fifteenth in yards per try (6.82), and has handled accidents all through his two seasons at Florida. He in all probability will nonetheless have a chance to be one of many highest-paid QBs within the nation subsequent 12 months, no matter how his sophomore season performs out.
If the Texas native desires to play nearer to dwelling, he’ll have choices. Texas A&M tried laborious to flip Lagway’s recruitment on the final minute after Mike Elko took over in December 2023. His father, Derek Lagway, performed at Baylor within the late Nineties. Lagway might be coming into his junior season and draft-eligible subsequent 12 months, so placing himself in the perfect place for his improvement and the NFL — whether or not that is with a brand new regime at Florida or elsewhere — will undoubtedly affect this choice.
RB Jadan Baugh: As a freshman, Baugh emerged because the Gators’ main rusher with 916 dashing yards and eight TDs on 5.4 yards per carry. Coming into Week 8, Baugh ranked third amongst all FBS backs in compelled missed tackles (47), in line with ESPN Analysis, and greater than 750 of his 1,284 profession dashing yards have come after first contact. On Saturday, he rushed for a career-best 150 yards to assist energy the Gators’ win over Mississippi State. Baugh could have two extra seasons of eligibility and is predicted to obtain important SEC and nationwide curiosity.
LB Myles Graham: Graham moved into the beginning lineup as a sophomore and leads Florida with 40 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and three go breakups. The son of former Gators and NFL working again Earnest Graham got here in because the fourth-ranked exterior linebacker within the 2024 ESPN 300 and proved he was able to play with a productive season in a reserve position, incomes SEC All-Freshman recognition. It will in all probability be powerful to drag him away from Gainesville given his household ties, however he’s a proficient playmaker.
WR Vernell Brown III: A real freshman wideout, ESPN’s No. 41 total recruit for 2025 earned a beginning position immediately and has a team-high 32 catches for 463 yards by seven video games. He is the son and grandson of former Gators, so there’s numerous loyalty there, however Brown will command main curiosity. You additionally may put a number of extra Gators large receivers on this listing, between Dallas Wilson, Eugene Wilson III and Aidan Mizell. All 4 might be severely coveted in the event that they discover transfers.
DT Caleb Banks: Banks turning down the NFL for yet another season with the Gators was an enormous deal for Napier and his employees. He is certainly one of ESPN’s high three defensive deal with prospects for the 2026 draft and can virtually definitely go professional after this season, however Banks may return for one further season if he wants a medical redshirt. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound senior sat out the primary two video games due to a foot damage, reinjured it in opposition to LSU and is now anticipated to be out indefinitely. — Max Olson
Three key recruits
DE JaReylan McCoy, No. 9 within the ESPN 300: McCoy dedicated to the Gators over LSU and Texas in June, and the five-star edge rusher stays the top-ranked member of Florida’s 2026 class. McCoy and his household have spoken usually about his consolation with the Gators, emphasizing that his pledge is tied as a lot, if no more, to this system as it’s to Napier and his employees. Florida’s in-season choice to maneuver on from Napier will certainly take a look at that resolve. McCoy spent a month dedicated to LSU earlier this 12 months, and the Tigers have continued their efforts with him this fall, as have Ole Miss and Texas, amongst others.
QB Will Griffin, No. 69 within the ESPN 300: A Gainesville native whose household went to UF, Griffin has been dedicated to the Gators since June 2024, and his recruitment has been successfully shut down for greater than a 12 months. As issues stand, there’s nothing to recommend Griffin might be on the transfer. However Napier’s departure at the very least cracks the door for any QB-needy program to test in on ESPN’s No. 6 pocket passer. If different elite commits start spilling out of Florida’s class, determining find out how to preserve Griffin within the fold might be crucial for the Gators.
RB Davian Groce, No. 36 total: An August commit, Groce would signify the Gators’ highest-ranked working again signee since Kelvin Taylor within the 2013 cycle. Florida emerged late in Groce’s recruiting course of to beat finalists Baylor, Houston and Oklahoma to ESPN’s No. 4 working again prospect. These colleges in all probability will circle again with Groce, whose Gators pledge looms particularly giant if fellow Florida working again Carsyn Baker — an early fall flip goal of Auburn, Florida State and South Carolina — reopens his recruitment and heads elsewhere. — Eli Lederman