We knew from the start of the season that sooner or later, the Florida job was going to get open. The inevitable has finally happened. Billy Napier has been sacked by the Gators. A troubling era is now history at Gainesville, for which Florida will be paying a little over $21 million. But this new spot now makes things all the more exciting for the coaching carousel.

Scott Stricklin’s 2 hire for Gators football ended up being a failure. That was despite the AD making a plea for Napier to Florida donors last season. But there was a limit on how much the program was going to reduce itself to just scrape through the season. Billy Napier leaves with a troubling 22-23 record at Gainesville, with a win percentage of 48.9%. No wonder Florida donors were ready to do away with him. Napier is done and dusted, but that brings in a wide variety of candidates to be looked at for Florida football. Here are 3 candidates who will most likely be looked at for the role.

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

It’s no surprise at all that Lane Kiffin is one of the best coaches to replace Napier. The Ole Miss coach has been in the state before, having shaped FAU football from the ground up. He also has family ties to Florida, considering he is the son-in-law of Florida icon John Reaves. But Kiffin makes for a brilliant candidate simply because of his turnout at Oxford. In 6 years, Kiffin has turned around Ole Miss into a program that is now a strong favorite to win the SEC.

That’s no joke to a team like Florida, which has been away from success like that for far too long. Kiffin and his offensive prowess could set things right at Gainesville. Also, his results with quarterbacks will have a direct impact on DJ Lagway, who carries a large part of Florida football’s reputation. More than that, it’s what Kiffin represents that has the Gators faithful gushing over him. A coach who likes to speak his mind in the media and stand for the program no matter what! That’s what we have been seeing at Ole Miss, and exactly what has been missing in Gainesville.

There were rumors last year as well that Lane Kiffin could be roped in, but Napier saved his job by beating Kiffin’s team at the Swamp. There is no news that Kiffin is unhappy at Ole Miss. In fact, he’s settled, but we also know him to be an ambitious guy. Can he really win a Natty at the program? That ambition may land him at the Gators.

James Franklin, ex-Penn State

James Franklin might be among the pricier coaches in the market. But that man has also shaped a nationally prominent program for a full decade. Florida can definitely do with some experience like Franklin’s. He left Penn State with a 104-45 record, which is what makes him a lucrative opportunity for the Gators. Franklin has also been at the SEC before, but he didn’t fare quite well then.

More notably, a reason why Franklin is a good shot is his experience with handling a program in crisis. Franklin took charge of Penn State when it was dealing with the abuse scandal and was looking at one of the most severe NCAA punishments ever.

Two years later, Franklin took the Nittany Lions to the Big 10 title. There’s a lot of good set to come to Gainesville if Franklin is hired. Florida’s most urgent need right now is stability, which is something the coach is best known for.

Alex Golesh, South Florida

The South Florida coach kicked off the domino effect that ultimately came for Billy Napier’s career. But Golesh’s presence in the state of Florida and his current performance with South Florida make a good case for him. USF is on a roll this year, even occasionally breaking into the AP Top 25 this season. 5 of 7 games so far have seen high scoring totals as well. Alex Golesh is leading a program kicking up a storm. It has put him in contention for a number of open coaching roles.

Florida is looking to make up for years of financial losses behind Napier. The administration will likely hope for a hire who isn’t too flashy. But they’ll also want someone who changes the program from the inside out. At this point, recruiting, NIL, and Florida football are taking huge hits. If the Gators are looking for a do-over from a financially safe option, they can give Alex Golesh a look.

Of all the programs that have an empty head coaching spot, Florida’s is the most troublesome. Not many survive the severity that comes with a program that is almost always dealt a tough schedule. It got the better of Billy Napier and those who came before him. Whoever Scott Stricklin hires next has to take a risky gamble for the rest of his career.