Betting sites are already posting odds for the next Gator coach in 2025. The ones that I consider realistic will be highlighted in orange for discussion later in the thread. Blue indicates interesting guesses that others have been highlighting on social media. The ones in red are not realistic despite the higher betting odds, at least in my opinion. The names in gray are lower odds, but should be watched in case the betting line moves up.
- Jamey Chadwell (+400) 5/1
- Lane Kiffin (+500) 6/1
- Deion Sanders (+600) 7/1
- Eli Drinkwitz (+700) 8/1
- Brent Key (+800) 9/1
- Brian Schottenheimer (+900) 10/1
- Glenn Schumann 12/1
- Chris Klieman 12/1
- Matt Rhule 14/1
- Josh Heupel 14/1
- Brent Venables 18/1
- Lance Leipold 18/1
- Mark Stoops 25/1
- Shane Beamer 25/1
- Jeff Brohm 25/1
- Alex Golesh 25/1
- Mario Cristobal 33/1
- Mack Brown 33/1
- Dave Doeren 33/1
- Teryl Austin 33/1
- Gus Malzahn 33/1
- PJ Fleck also 33/1
- Dan Lanning 40/1
- B-Kelly 40/1
- Jedd Fisch 50/1
- Ryan Day 50/1
- Oscar Liar 66/1
- Mike Gundy 66/1
- Kalen DeBoer 75/1
- Kirby Smart 100/1
- Dan Mullen 100/1
- Mike Norvell 100/1
- Dan Quinn 100/1
- Muschamp 100/1
- Nick Saban 100/1
- Jim Harbaugh 100/1
- Tim Tebow 150/1
- Danny Wuerffel 200/1
- Jesse Palmer 200/1
- Steve Spurrier 250/1
- Emmitt Smith 300/1
- Cris Collinsworth 300/1
Jamey Chadwell has been the head coach at Liberty since 2023, where he has a 16-1 record. His overall coaching record is 114-58 with stints at North Greenville (2009-2011), Delta State (2012), and Coastal Carolina (2017, 2019-2022). He has won conference championships in Conference USA (2023), Sun Belt (2020), and Big South (2015 - vacated by NCAA, 2016). Chadwell's resume looks a lot like Billy Napier's, so I am a bit hesitant to pick him as the next head coach.
Exactly. Not ANOTHER "GIANT PREMATURE JUMP UP IN CLASS"!
But though there are a LOT of names on this list, it still brings little in the way of "throw the rest out!" confidence...The best of them seem as unattainable as they do unavailable.
Some ridiculous, some unthinkable, some from the "distant past", others at best from the "distant FUTURE" (if EVER).
But this is what will happen when you fail to face (or to be more precise, FAIL to handle) this sort of crisis of confidence...Fail to handle it AGAIN. And again. And again. FOUR TIMES they have managed to pass the buck on to the NEXT group of incoming freshmen classes.
ENOUGH!
HOWEVER, at THIS point I feel I must say something about anger, frustration and "personal feelings". In each case I have wished each of these guys well, have trusted, supported them and taken them at their word. In some cases that has left me ultimately feeling a sense of BETRAYAL in the way that some have BROKEN that trust. But let us speak the truth: the greatest, and most consistent "failure and betrayal" has been from Stickland and the Board who has backed and enabled him through it all.
Though I have lost confidence and gained little but growing disappointment in the results that have manifested on the field under Billy, I still like and respect him as a man: I believe he has failed to measure up as a Head Coach at what is the acknowledged highest level of competition in college football here in the SEC, that doesn't make him evil.
If we for any reason cannot currently put together the right combination of required components of a deal to bring the IDEAL CANDIDATE to UF at this awkward point mid-season, I'll understand NOT simply bringing in an "interim Coach" just for "show". Billy's done nothing actionable, nothing "wrong" except maybe coach poorly--and LOSE.
So if we are to "limp along for a while" under Napier while the deal for the mythical "guy we're REALLY after" can eventually materialize, well we won't truly KNOW about all that until it actually happens, and at this point, having already had our worst fears for 2024 more or less having come to pass already, I can suffer through the ensuing mediocrity with a certain resigned (even hopeful) patience, I think.
But there damn well better be a PAY OFF!
