The Billy Napier era at Florida is over.

Florida fired Napier on Sunday, one day after a 23-21 win over Mississippi State. Napier went 22-23 over four seasons after being hired from Louisiana following Dan Mullen’s tenure. His time in Gainesville began with the program’s first consecutive losing seasons since 1979. When including Mullen’s final year, it was the first time the Gators had three consecutive losing seasons since 1947. A late run last year salvaged an 8-5 season, temporarily saved Napier’s job and set up a preseason No. 15 ranking, but early losses to USF and Miami (Fla.) put Napier back on the hot seat.

So how good is the Florida job? What names could get in the mix? Based on conversations with industry sources, here is a report card for the job and the potential candidates to watch.

Recent history/tradition: A-

Florida’s expectations are to compete for SEC and national championships, but the program’s history is full of highs and lows. The Gators have won three national titles since 1996; only Alabama has more in that span. Yet it’s been 15 years since the program was truly great, despite running through coaches who check all the right boxes.

What does it take for Florida to be at its best? Having good players and getting the most out of them. That seems simple, but the Gators haven’t really been able to crack that code outside of a couple of decades.

Still, the tradition of the Swamp, the three Heisman Trophy winners and everything around the program are as true to college football as it gets.

On-field outlook: B+

It’s hard to predict a roster’s trajectory in the transfer portal era, but the Gators rank 12th in 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite, which is based on players’ high school ratings. The issue is, that is good for sixth in the SEC. Napier did the needed job of improving the level of recruiting from the Mullen era — Florida’s last two signing classes ranked in the top 10 — so there appears to be young talent here. But we have to see how much stays.

None are more important than quarterback D.J. Lagway, who stuck with his Florida commitment despite those losing seasons, then became the player who saved Napier’s job last year. This season has not gone according to plan, in part because of offseason and in-season injuries. Lagway will have a lot of suitors if he chooses to go elsewhere.

New transfer portal rules could help the next coach, as players can no longer enter the portal until five days after a new head coach is hired or announced, giving time for the new coach to work to keep players. A new head coach also has the ability to bring players from his old school to a new school.

Still, the job is in a recruiting hotbed. The next coach will be able to attract plenty of talent.

Money matters: A-

Florida has finally caught up in facilities and spending after years of being behind. The state-of-the-art Heavener Football Training Center opened in 2022. The Gators have also gotten better at acquiring players and retaining who they want, though some other SEC competitors spend more.

But Napier’s $7.2 million salary ranked 24th nationally and 11th in the SEC, according to the USA Today database. To get the type of coach Florida wants to hire in this cycle, the Gators will have to pay much more than that.

University stability: D

The school doesn’t have a full-time university president because the school’s board of trustees unanimously recommended hiring Michigan president Santa Ono before the state’s board of governors rejected him over his handling of various political issues. Previous president Ben Sasse spent just two years in the role. He stepped down and cited family health issues, but his tenure was full of its own controversies.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin has been in his role since 2016. While he signed a three-year extension this summer, that deal includes a provision that would move him into a semi-retirement special assistant role for five years beginning in 2030. All together, that’s a lot of administrative change in the near past and near future.

Coach pool: A

So who could get in the mix? Here are names to watch.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin: He has looked at plenty of other jobs, including Auburn a few years ago, before deciding to stay at Ole Miss. Kiffin has been given the resources to succeed at Ole Miss, but Florida could offer similar resources and a higher upside.

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee: He took SMU to its first conference championship in 40 years in 2023, then took the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff in their first ACC season. He also developed Florida connections after spending 2020-21 as Miami (Fla.) offensive coordinator, bringing numerous Canes with him to SMU where they became impact players. Lashlee is 34-14 at SMU, and the school’s billionaire boosters have said they won’t lose him over money. But he has spent much of his career in the SEC, and Florida may be the kind of job that can’t be passed up. He’ll be a target for many big jobs in this cycle.

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz: He has turned Mizzou into a contender in the loaded SEC, winning at least 10 games in the last two years, and he’s off to a 6-1 start this year following a double-overtime win at Auburn. Drinkwitz has helped the Tigers get talented players and stay in contention, but Mizzou will always have a difficult path in the SEC. Florida offers higher upside.

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch: Fisch, a Florida alum, didn’t play for the Gators but worked as a student and graduate assistant under Steve Spurrier. After bouncing all over the country as an NFL and college assistant, he finally got a head coaching shot at Arizona and took the Wildcats from 1-11 to 10-3 in three seasons. He then inherited the national runner-up at Washington but had to replace the entire starting lineup. The Huskies are 5-2 this year behind electric quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who could be another selling point for Fisch if the coach can convince his quarterback to follow him to another school.

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall: He will be in the mix for a lot of SEC jobs in this cycle. A former Kentucky player, Sumrall has quickly shown himself to be a winner, with a 37-10 record, two Sun Belt championships and a conference title game appearance every year he’s been a head coach. The Green Wave beat Duke and Northwestern this year. Sumrall’s holistic approach to program-building has impressed several athletic directors.

South Florida head coach Alex Golesh: The Bulls have turned the corner in Golesh’s third season, now 6-1 and ranked in the top 20 thanks in large part to a win at Florida in which Golesh outcoached Napier. He inherited a 1-11 program and will go to his third bowl game in three years in Tampa. He was previously the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, giving him SEC experience, and his time at UCF and USF brings in-state experience.

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea: Pulling Lea away from his alma mater could be tough, but he has turned Vandy from an SEC doormat into a tough out, now 6-1 and ranked in the top 20, with the lone loss a battle at Alabama. Lea has built a culture of belief while competing against programs with more resources. What could he do with those resources?

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key: He has brought consistent success to the Yellow Jackets, currently 7-0, and his teams have played Georgia close multiple times as a big underdog. He also spent a decade at UCF as an assistant and knows the state. Key is 25-16 in four seasons, and his teams play incredibly hard. It might be difficult to pull Key away from his alma mater, especially if the Yellow Jackets are in the middle of a Playoff run, but the athletic director who hired him is no longer there, and Georgia Tech’s finances are limited.

Former Penn State head coach James Franklin: He wouldn’t be the top choice, but Florida could do a lot worse than a coach who reached the CFP semifinal last year and went 104-45 with the Nittany Lions, after taking Vanderbilt to consecutive nine-win seasons. Franklin couldn’t win the big one at Penn State, but he could still win a lot of games, and Florida could really use that baseline right now.

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck: He has turned the Gophers into a consistent winner, now 5-2 this year after beating Nebraska at home. The energetic Fleck has taken Minnesota to a bowl game in every non-COVID season after his first year and posted a top-10 finish in 2019.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman: Florida should try to make him say no, and maybe Freeman will, given the support he’s getting in South Bend. He took Notre Dame to the national championship game and has another top-15 team this year. He’s winning, he’s recruiting well, he’s everything Florida would want.

Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm: He just knocked off No. 2 Miami, putting him at 4-0 against top-five teams in the regular season. He took the Cardinals to an ACC Championship Game in 2023 and Purdue to a Big Ten title game the year before that. Pulling Brohm away from his alma mater will be tough, but he always gets the most out of his teams.

Syracuse head coach Fran Brown: He spent 2022-23 as Georgia’s defensive backs coach and worked hand in hand with Kirby Smart, learning what it takes to be a head coach. Brown finally got a chance and took the Orange to 10 wins in his first season last year, including a win over Miami. The Orange have fallen to 3-4 this year due to key injuries, but if Brown can spring an upset or two, he could be in the mix for bigger jobs in this cycle.

Overall grade: A-

Success is far from a guarantee here, especially in the 16-team SEC, but national championships are attainable. There’s plenty of talent nearby, the facilities have finally caught up and the money is competitive. It’s not one of the very best jobs in the sport, but it’s in the tier right below that. Florida has not been able to figure it out with its past few hires, but all it takes is one home run hire to get back to the top of the sport.