The Florida Gators are on the hunt for their next head football coach following the dismissal of now-former program leader Billy Napier earlier this season.
Florida is a historic and proud program with a rich history of iconic coaches, including College Football Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier.
Spurrier served as the Gators’ head coach for 12 years from 1990-2001, leading the program to a 122-27 overall record and its first national championship victory in 1996. Now, the 80-year-old former coach is weighing in with his thoughts on who should take over as the school’s next program leader.
Spurrier identified two candidates as “super” hires for the Gators.
“I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier said on the “Another Dooley Noted” podcast. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.”
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Both Kiffin and Drinkwitz have been bombarded with questions about their coaching futures as they lead their respective teams through the final stretch of the 2025 college football season.
Kiffin, who idolized Spurrier as a young coach, addressed coaching rumors during a press conference on Wednesday. Reports from earlier this week indicated that members of Kiffin’s family recently traveled to both Gainesville and Baton Rouge.
“Why would I not expect to coach next week? … We’re gameplanning, we just practiced. I don’t even understand how that would happen,” Kiffin said when asked if he plans to be Ole Miss’ head coach when they take the field for their regular-season finale against Mississippi State on Nov. 28.
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Drinkwitz also bristled over questions about his future with Missouri on Wednesday.
“All of this stuff is just a distraction,” Drinkwitz said. “I would like to remind everybody, including our fans, we absolutely love Mizzou. We love what we’re building. … My focus is going to remain on our team and our current situation and I am not going to get into all of that.”
Florida, led by interim head coach Billy Gonzales, will face off against the No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
