The Florida Gators entered the 2025 season as CFP darkhorses. But with four early losses, Billy Napier was fired with the worst winning percentage of .489 by a Florida coach since 1949. Still, the culture he built at UF can be a challenge for the incoming head coach. So far, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin leads the race. While the search is still on, Kirk Herbstreit has named the recently fired $49M coach as a better fit.

“Who should be the next coach at Florida?,” Herbstreit asked on a special segment of College GameDay. “Isn’t it obvious that Lane Kiffin seems to be the guy that everyone’s talking about? Who else if Lane doesn’t take it?… How about James Franklin as a second candidate?”

It’s no surprise that Franklin is seeing his name thrown in the mix.

The former Penn State coach was awarded a huge $49 million check as a buyout and isn’t interested in taking a backseat already. When he appeared on GameDay for an interview, he even added a cherry on top, stating that whichever program he joins next, they’re going to win a national championship at the highest level.

Franklin came close to it only twice in his 11-ish years at Happy Valley. But his contributions to the program during all those years make him one of the best coaches available.

The veteran coach won one Big 10 title and also made a trip to the playoffs in the first edition of the 12-team bracket. With a commanding overall record of 128-60, with which he built a standard at Penn State, he can be a great option for a struggling program like Florida.

Simply put, Franklin knows how to win. Yet, it’ll be difficult for him to beat out Lane Kiffin.

The Rebels coach, unlike Franklin, has emerged as a top contender in the SEC. That’s also a program that he has turned around in just 6 years. Florida, unlike other programs, is in dire need of change, making Kiffin a perfect candidate.

The Gators would want to make a radical change, as the current results do little to live up to their former reputation.

Napier had been in the hot seat for well over a year, and the 22-23 record, including 12-16 in SEC play, only pushed him over the edge. UF was 5-17 against ranked opponents under their former HC, including 0-14 away from home. Napier was 3-12 against rivals Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, and Tennessee for the fewest wins by a Florida coach in such games since the late 1930s.

Without a doubt, he strengthened the program in other aspects, including recruitment. But Saturdays became one of the glaring issues in Napier’s tenure. Another was his refusal to relinquish his playcalling role despite calls to do so.

Now, Kiffin is already teasing Gators’ quotes and a Steve Spurrier-esque look with a visor to connect with the rumors. But until he is hired, there are other fish in the sea. One could very well be Herbstreit’s choice.

But if they choose to move on, there’s a good reason Florida gives Franklin a miss.

The cons of having James Franklin at Florida are too big to ignore

“Florida fans and donors want the modern-day Steve Spurrier,” On3‘s Pete Nakos said on an appearance on the Crane & Company podcast. The insider’s top 3 bets are Lane Kiffin, Eli Drinkwitz, and Jedd Fisch. However, there is a key area that UF is going to focus on in its search for the next HC: a sitting Power Four head coach, automatically ruling out James Franklin. Sure, he has a good overall record, but the losing streak that cost him his job is far too alarming to be ignored.

Moreover, there are other fears with James Franklin being at Florida.

His biggest vice still remains a reality: losing to big names. Throughout Franklin’s PSU stint, he has continually lost to either Ohio State or Michigan (sometimes even both). That risk is too dangerous to bet on in the SEC, where the stakes get a lot higher. Here, he’ll be facing groups like Alabama, Georgia, and others. If he couldn’t get over his Big 10 rivals, will he be able to last in a much tougher SEC environment?

His past SEC tenure might shed some light.

Franklin thrived at Vanderbilt when he went 24-15, posting back-to-back nine-win seasons in his 3-year tenure there. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has also thrown Franklin’s name around for the prime Florida job, stating that after 12 seasons at Penn State, he might want a new scenery. In fact, he also has a home in Florida and has spent a lot of time in the state over the years.

Moreover, Franklin is always going to be an attractive coach in the job market. He became a top favorite for the USC job when Clay Helton was fired in 2021. And soon enough, Penn State and Franklin signed a contract extension until 2031. Florida needs a few years of service from its new head coach to get back up and function at par with other SEC programs. Franklin could be a constant worry for the program if he is signed on for a short period.

It’s really a grey area for Florida when it comes to the former PSU coach. They’ve already suffered a lot in the past few years, and cannot afford more downfall. James Franklin has the potential of being a wild-card entry who shakes things up. But he’s also not a safe choice. The job will be a bit uncharacteristic for him as well, but he sure does have the fire to coach a top program. So, is Kiffin still the favorite, or Florida just might check out other names?