The Florida Gators’ head coaching job is wide open. The question is — who’s actually willing to take it?
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin made the call to fire Billy Napier after the Gators’ Week 8 matchup against Mississippi State — despite a win over the Bulldogs. Napier was in his fourth season in Gainesville but produced just one winning campaign, finishing with an overall record of 22-23.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Florida has hired the same search firm that helped Texas and Alabama land Steve Sarkisian and Kalen DeBoer, respectively. But if the latest reports are true, the Gators are in for an uphill battle finding their next head coach.
Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, who was reportedly Florida’s leading choice according to Anand Nanduri, “said no immediately,” per the reporter.
In Nanduri’s latest update on October 23, he noted that SMU’s Rhett Lashlee has also turned down the job.
“Florida update for those who care: they vetted Lashlee and seemed largely uninterested,” Nanduri posted on X.
Why Rhett Lashlee Would Prefer to Stay at SMU
The Florida job may not be as coveted as it once was — especially in today’s college football landscape, where parity is at an all-time high. SMU, once a shell of itself after the NCAA’s infamous “death penalty” in 1987 for repeated recruiting violations, is now thriving again under Lashlee.
Lashlee, who holds a 34-14 record with the Mustangs, has led the program to two straight conference title appearances, winning one. In SMU’s first year in the ACC in 2024, the Mustangs came up just short of winning the championship but still earned a College Football Playoff berth. Sitting at 5-2 with no conference losses in 2025, SMU is once again in the thick of the ACC race.
With that kind of momentum, Lashlee is in prime position to keep building SMU’s success. He’s also in a far better spot to compete for conference titles and playoff berths than he would be at Florida.
Expectations in Gainesville remain sky-high. The Gators haven’t competed for or won a national title since 2008, and whoever takes over next won’t just need to be better than Napier — they’ll need to be the next Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer. That’s the bar.
Lane Kiffin Said to Be Top Target for Florida Gators
Even dating back to 2024, when Napier’s seat began to heat up, Lane Kiffin’s name was repeatedly floated as his potential successor — and that speculation has only intensified midway through 2025.
“It seems a lot of the administration preferred Freeman, and the boosters and big money preferred and almost demanded Kiffin. We’ll see what happens,” Nanduri reported.
Kiffin has Ole Miss off to another strong start at 6-1, with the Rebels’ only loss coming against Georgia in Week 8. He’s 50-19 overall in Oxford but has yet to make a playoff appearance.
That said, Kiffin currently has the No. 8 Rebels in position for a playoff berth this season — which could complicate Florida’s pursuit. Stricklin would likely prefer to have his next coach in place before the transfer portal opens on January 2. The expanded College Football Playoff begins on December 19, with the national championship set for January 19.
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