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Christopher Boan writes for FloridaBet.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
Next Florida Gators Head Coach Candidates: Who Can Replace Billy Napier?
- 👀Billy Napier is safe for now at Florida after a vote of confidence from the athletic department.
- 🏈But expect several familiar faces to be in the mix early next year if things go south.
- 👀 Among the future candidates? Chip Kelly, Lane Kiffin, Bill O'Brien and even Urban Meyer.
What once was one of the greatest football programs in American amateur football has fallen on hard times, as the Florida Gators have bumbled their way to a 4-4 start to the season, with a 2-3 record in the SEC.
Given the Gators’ lack of success across Florida sports betting under third year head coach Billy Napier, it seemed like only a matter of time until AD Scott Stricklin pulled the trigger and fires the 45-year-old head coach.
But one major stumbling block in Stricklin’s way is Napier’s $26 million contract buyout, which would be the second largest figure given out to a fired head coach, behind the $76 million that Texas A&M gave Jimbo Fisher in 2023.
In early November, Stricklin gave Napier a vote of confidence, saying he'd be back for a fourth year at The Swamp. But he'll need to win early and often next season.
To get a sense of where UF may go should they fire Napier at some point next season, FloridaBet.com broke down some hypothetical odds on which coaching candidates could be the next up in Gainesville.
Next Florida Head Football Coach Odds
Coach | Current Job | Odds | Percent Chance |
Jamey Chadwell | Liberty HC | +475 | 17.4% |
Eli Drinkwitz | Missouri HC | +550 | 15.4% |
Glenn Schumann | Georgia DC | +550 | 15.4% |
Bill O'Brien | Boston College HC | +1000 | 9.1% |
Chip Kelly | Ohio State OC | +1000 | 9.1% |
Jedd Fisch | Washington HC | +1200 | 7.7% |
Rhett Lashlee | SMU HC | +1500 | 6.3% |
Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss HC | +2000 | 4.8% |
Lance Leipold | Kansas HC | +2000 | 4.8% |
Urban Meyer | FOX CFB Analyst | +3500 | 2.8% |
The Field |
| +1100 | 8.3% |
Odds provided by FloridaBet and not available at Florida betting apps.
Will Jamey Chadwell Find Way To Gainesville?
Right now, our top choices for Stricklin this go-round are all head coaches, with Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell (+475) and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz (+550) ranking at the top of the list.
Chadwell is 5-2 in Lynchburg after going 13-1 in his first full season with the Flames. He would certainly fit geographically for Florida, having played collegiately at East Tennessee State before entering the coaching ranks with stops at his alma mater, Charleston Southern, North Greenville, Delta State, and Coastal Carolina.
Meanwhile, Drinkwitz finally got things cooking at Missouri in Year 4, and that seems to have carried over into Year 5. After going 11-2 last season, culminating in a Cotton Bowl victory, the Tigers are 6-2 to start the season. That includes a win over Boston College and Bill O'Brien (another rising candidate for the Gators job at +1000). A few more strong wins and Drinkwitz could be primed to move south within the SEC.
Our previous favorite on this list - Kansas' Lance Leipold - saw his odds significantly lengthen after the Jayhawks' 1-4 start to the season. They're now 2-6, and the shine has likely worn off Leipold for now. A new name to watch is Ohio State OC Chip Kelly (+1000), who the Gators (and Stricklin) made a serious run at before hiring Dan Mullen in late 2017.
Throw in a longshot like Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss at +2000 and the always tantalizing thought of reuniting with Urban Meyer (+3500) and you have the full rundown of candidates that Stricklin could target next year, as UF limps its way through a brutal schedule in 2024.
USA Today photo by Matt Pendleton.
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