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7 Coaching Candidates to Replace Billy Napier at Florida
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- 7 Coaching Candidates to Replace Billy Napier at Florida
Florida fired coach Billy Napier on Sun day. Napier's dismissal follows Saturday's win over Mississippi State. The Gators went 22-23 under Napier since '22. Florida finished 6-7 in Napier's first season but went 5-7 the next year. However, the program appeared to turn a corner after an 8-5 mark last season, which included a strong finish to beat LSU and Ole Miss. That momentum didn't last long for Napier, as the Gators struggled against a tough schedule and a sluggish offense to start 3-4 this year following Saturday's win over Mississippi State.
Florida is one of the SEC's top jobs and a program where a coach can win a national title. The Gators won't have any shortage of interest in this job. Wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales is expected to work as the team's interim coach for the remainder of '25.
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Who could replace Napier at Florida? Here are a few names to watch in the search:
Candidates to Replace Billy Napier as Florida head coach
Eli Drinkwitz, Head Coach, MissouriDrinkwitz makes around $9 million a year and is 26-6 at Missouri since 2023. While Florida is a better job, there's no guarantee he would be interested in leaving Columbia considering the recent run of success. Drinkwitz is 44-25 overall at Missouri and also went 12-1 at Appalachian State in '19.
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Jedd Fisch, Head Coach, Washington
Fisch has ties to Florida as a graduate and a two-year stint as a GA (1999-00) in Gainesville. After garnering a wealth of experience as an assistant in the collegiate and NFL ranks, Fisch landed his first head-coaching gig with Arizona in '21. The Wildcats went 1-11 in his debut but showed marked improvement over the next two years. Fisch guided the program to a 5-7 mark in '22, followed by a 10-3 record the next season. Fisch went 6-7 in his debut at Washington in '24 and is off to a5-2 start this year.
James Franklin, Former Head Coach, Penn StateFranklin was dismissed as Penn State's coach after the Week 7 loss to Northwestern and a sluggish 3-3 start. Although Franklin's tenure ended in massive disappointment after having preseason expectations of contending for a national title, he still ranks among the top coaches in the nation. Franklin went 104-45 at Penn State, recorded six double-digit win seasons, and posted five top-10 finishes. Franklin also went 24-15 at Vanderbilt from 2011-13.
Alex Golesh, Head Coach, South FloridaFlorida got a glimpse of Golesh's coaching ability earlier this season when he led South Florida to an 18-16 upset of the Gators in Week 2. Thanks to upsets over Boise State and Florida this year, the Bulls are among the top Group of 5 teams in the nation and in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Golesh is 20-13 since taking over at USF and has previous SEC experience from a two-year stint at Tennessee (2021-22).
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Lane Kiffin, Head Coach, Ole MissKiffin has a good run going at Ole Miss, but his name will pop up in the rumor mill for this opening. Since taking over in Oxford in 2020, the Rebels are 50-19 under his watch. Included in that stretch are three double-digit win seasons, including an 11-2 record in '23 with a No. 9 finish in the final Associated Press Top 25. Counting previous stops at USC, Tennessee, and Florida Atlantic, Kiffin is 109-52 overall as a head coach. The Rebels are 6-1 following a close loss to Georgia in Week 8.
Glenn Schumann, Defensive Coordinator, GeorgiaSchumann has no previous experience as a head coach, but he's entrenched in the SEC with stops at Alabama and Georgia. The Georgia native followed Smart from Alabama to Georgia in 2016 and became the team's primary defensive coordinator in '22. Although Schumann carries some risk as a first-time head coach, he's got experience working under two elite coaches (Nick Saban and Kirby Smart) and can bring that program model to Gainesville.
Jon Sumrall, Head Coach, TulaneSumrall's name is expected to pop up with any major opening in the 2025 coaching carousel. Sumrall has ties to the SEC after a playing career at Kentucky, along with previous stints as an assistant with the Wildcats and at Ole Miss. The Alabama native landed his first head-coaching gig with Troy in '22 and went 23-4 with two Sun Belt titles over two years in charge. Sumrall departed to Tulane in '24 and is 15-6 since taking over. The Green Wave played for the American Conference title last season and is among the top Group of 5 teams once again this fall.
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Related: 7 Coaching Candidates to Replace James Franklin at Penn State
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2025-26
Related: It's Time to Talk About Vanderbilt as a College Football Playoff Contender
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
