When Florida fired Billy Napier on Sunday, it didn’t come as a surprise. It was something that had been rumored for some time, and it was something the fanbase was clamoring for.
Before Florida fired Napier, there were already rumors of potential replacements for him. Now that the move has been made, there is no shortage of candidates.
Former Florida State quarterback Danny Kanell thinks that Nick Saban is going to coach again, and one school he thinks will make a run at him is Florida.
Danny Kanell Thinks Florida Makes a Run at Nick Saban
Kanell isn’t ruling out the former Alabama and LSU coach from returning to college football. Despite what was said on ESPN’s College GameDay by his wife, Terry, he’ll likely listen.
“Look Pat (McAfee), I have no doubt if Nick wanted to go back to coaching, he could win his eighth national championship,” Miss Terry said. “But we’re having too much fun, and we wouldn’t want to take that opportunity away from all of our baby coaches, like Kirby and Lane. I haven’t heard a number yet, Pat.”
Clearly, McAfee was talking about Penn State’s opening and about $50 million it would take to get him back on the sidelines, but that won’t stop every other school from getting into the mix. That isn’t a complete no, however, and you have to think that schools are still going to call him, and he will at least listen. Kanell suggested that Florida should make that call. Saban would be a home run hire for several reasons.
Florida has a lot of resources available that would make the Gators a quick contender under the seven-time national champion. In this day and age of NIL and the transfer portal, you can rebuild on the fly and win. Look at Virginia this year in the ACC.
Nick Saban to Florida A Long Short
Is Florida a better job than Penn State? It is an SEC job. We all know how much the SEC is coveted over the Big Ten and other power conferences. Saban had a yearly wagon at Alabama and would do the same in Gainesville.
This feels like a long shot at best, but one that would be a home run hire. Napier went 22-23 at Florida, but Saban’s history at Alabama is hard to ignore.
In 13 of his 17 years at the helm of the Crimson Tide, Saban’s Alabama teams never lost more than two games in a season. He was 206-29 during his time in Tuscaloosa after a stop in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
It is unclear whether or not Saban would want to get into coaching in his 70s after he has settled into his gig at ESPN. Florida making the phone call makes a lot of sense, and it would be a home run hire for Florida. The question is, if Saban wants to return, would he take an SEC job after stops at LSU and Alabama? Until all of the open vacancies are filled, Saban’s name will always be floated around.
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