Deja Vu? Five Realistic Replacements For Billy Napier At Florida

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is on the hot seat and is in danger of being fired.

Wait a minute, I feel like we were just here not too long ago.

Yes, it seems like September has now become the annual "Billy Napier Hot Seat" month, because for the second year in a row, the Gators have embarrassed themselves at home against an in-state school before Fall has even officially begun.

Napier probably should have been fired around this time last year (and apparently was all but officially out until his November turnaround), but athletic director Scott Stricklin has a chance to right his past wrongs and rid the program of the current coach's stench of mediocrity before things get much worse.

The question is: who do you bring in as the next head coach at the University of Florida?

I'm not Scott Stricklin nor am I someone with enough sway to make that decision, but after talking to a smattering of high-level boosters and fans alike, I have come up with five REALISTIC names to add to the coaching hotboard.

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way now. There will be no Nick Saban or Urban Meyer on this list, nor am I foolish enough to include guys like Marcus Freeman or Dan Lanning, who are currently at internationally recognizable institutions with perennial playoff aspirations.

With that said, let's dive in!

5. Jedd Fisch (Washington Head Coach)

Jedd Fisch checks off a ton of boxes to be the Gators' next head coach.

He is relatively young (49 years old), runs a modern and effective offense, and has Power 4 experience as well as an impressive turnaround under his belt while at Arizona.

The added bonus with Fisch is his connection to the university, as he is a UF alumnus.

I can't rank Fisch any higher than fifth, though, because he still has plenty left to prove at Washington.

The Huskies are off to a good start, but I need to see if 2023 at Arizona was just a fluke, or if Fisch really has the magic touch.

If you're a Gator fan, keep an eye trained on Seattle for the next several Saturdays.

4. Will Stein (Oregon Offensive Coordinator)

Making our way down the coastline of the Pacific Northwest, we arrive in Eugene, Oregon, for our next potential candidate.

Will Stein is known among coaching circles as an offensive guru, and it's only a matter of time before he gets his shot at being a head coach.

At 35 years old, Stein is an up-and-comer and runs a dynamic offense for the Ducks, two things that should excite Florida fans.

This will be his third season under Oregon head coach Dan Lanning's wing, and his buyout will be significantly less than that of a potential Power 4 head coach should the Gators try and poach him.

The downside with Stein is the fact that he would be going straight from being a coordinator to one of the most pressure-packed jobs in America, and although it worked for Lanning and his mentor, Kirby Smart, it's impossible to tell how it will work for Stein.

3. Alex Golesh (South Florida Head Coach)

If you can't beat ‘em, make ’em join you, or however that saying goes!

Fresh off of pants-ing Billy Napier on national television, South Florida head coach Alex Golesh is the toast of the college football town.

He is off to the best two-year start in Bulls history, is coming off back-to-back ranked wins, and runs an exciting offense adapted from Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel's up-tempo, spread system.

He's only 41 years old, so there is still plenty of fuel left in the tank for Golesh, who will be the hottest name on the coaching carousel come December.

Stricklin and company could pull a coup on other potential suitors by firing Napier and back channeling with Golesh now before anyone else has a chance to pounce.

He's just down the road from Gainesville, so it wouldn't even be that bad of a move for his family; a few less palm trees and a lot more Spanish moss.

Hell, if he marches down to Miami Gardens and comes out with a win on Saturday, I may personally drive up to Tampa and chauffeur him to the football offices at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium myself.

2. Brent Key (Georgia Tech Head Coach)

When talking to some Gator boosters and fans I became acquainted with about Napier's replacement, the name that I saw pop up with the most surprising frequency was Brent Key.

The more research I did, the more I got on board with the idea.

Key is just 47 years old and has rescued Georgia Tech from the desolate days of the Geoff Collins era, to the point where they are seen as darkhorse contenders to make the College Football Playoff.

His offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, would also be an added bonus, as the Yellow Jackets run a very fast-paced scheme that would benefit all the speed that the Gators recruit in their home state.

Key also has an extra feather in his cap, as he has played Florida's arch rival Georgia about as close as anyone in the past two years with far less resources than he would have in Gainesville.

Brent Key would be the slam dunk choice if it weren't for the fact that he's a Georgia Tech alum and because I think there is one guy who fits the mold just a little bit better.

1. Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss Head Coach)

Who didn't see this one coming!?

Lane Kiffin is about as close to a perfect fit at Florida as there is in the game of college football today.

He's brash and confident.

He loves to score points.

And he's turned Ole Miss into a consistent winner and playoff contender, which is something not many people have been able to do in Oxford.

Florida's resource pool (read: boosters) and recruiting budget would be much higher than what Kiffin is currently operating with at Ole Miss, so you have to imagine he would be able to thrive in Gainesville.

His buyout is only $3 million, making him a much cheaper option than even Brent Key, who just signed a five-year extension in 2024.

Stricklin shouldn't overthink this one. If Napier is shown the door at any point this season, his first, second, and third call should be to Kiffin.

He should have been the hire after 2021, and he absolutely should have been the hire after 2024.

Don't let this opportunity pass you by three times in a row, Scott.