While Lane Kiffin seems to be the name many Florida Gators‘ fans as Billy Napier’s replacement, there are other interesting candidates on the prospective list.
The word out of Oxford suggests that Ole Miss would like to extend Kiffin in a deal akin to Indiana’s deal with Curt Cignetti. Under those circumstances, Kiffin to Florida may not be as sure of a bet as many envision. In the case, who else should be on the list?
Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State)
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff last season. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This one could be a bit tricky for the Gators to pull off. First, Dillingham is an ASU alum, so his loyalties are high. His next accomplishment was turning a doormat program into a conference champion. With a berth in the CFP, he’s far ahead of many other candidates in that respect. Most importantly, his Power Four head coaching experience should carry over.
An offensive mind, Dillingham flashes a knack for recruiting elite talent while delving into the portal to grab FCS and junior college standouts. Also, with stops as the offensive coordinator at both Auburn and Florida State, recruiting in the South will not be an issue. Plus, at 35, he is not a retread, looking to cash checks while bringing tired ideas to town.
Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri)
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz is a possible candidate after turning the Tigers into playoff contenders in recent years. / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Across the college football landscape, no other name will pop up at as many jobs as Drinkwitz, and with good reason. Turning an afterthought Missouri squad into a perennial double-digit winner in the SEC remains a serious accomplishment. Drinkwitz uses the portal wisely, focusing on specific targets and not trying to cast a wide net to bring in numbers, something that Napier failed at.
Unlike Dillingham, Drinkwitz does not maintain deeper connections to the school. He did not graduate from there or coach in Columbia before his hiring. Additionally, he must see that Missouri, for as successful as they are, still has a ceiling.
Jedd Fisch (Washington)
Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch was a graduate assistant at Florida from 1998-2000. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The lone coach on this list has Florida ties. Fisch graduated twice from UF in 1998 and 2000, working as a graduate assistant for Steve Spurrier. Fisch finds a way to bring out the best of his offenses, preferring a faster pace and emphasis on explosive plays.
His Huskies are currently the FBS’ 33rd-ranked team regarding total offense (437.1 yards) per game. One of the significant drawbacks is his unwillingness to delegate play-calling duties. Earlier this summer, he spoke to the Washington Huskies on SI, and he did not mince words.
“For 13 years, I’ve called plays, so that’s like 13,000 plays, plus you start talking about every play you call in practice … It’s hard to say I want to give that to someone else.”
Jon Sumrall (Tulane)
Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall lost to Florida in last seasons’ Gasparilla Bowl, giving Billy Napier his only postseason win with the Gators. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Some SEC team will cut this man an extensive check to lead their school. Don’t confuse his current job at a Group of Five school as a disqualifier. Sumrall played in the SEC (Kentucky)
and enjoyed three different coaching stops as an assistant in the conference (Kentucky twice and Ole Miss); he knows the landscape from the inside.
Unlike the previous three, Sumrall is defensive-minded, allowing his offensive coordinator to run the offense without much meddling. Inevitably, someone will draw a parallel between himself and Napier, although it’s off-base; bank on it.
Rhett Lashlee (SMU)
Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee has SEC experience as a player, graduate assistant and a coordinator. / Ken Ruinard-GREENVILLE NEWS-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
All Lashlee has done is turn the Mustangs into a consistent winner, making last season’s College Football Playoff. Like Sumrall, he sports a conference tie on various levels. From 2002 to 2004, he played quarterback at Arkansas.
Later, he worked as a grad assistant at both Arkansas and Auburn before returning to The Plains as the offensive coordinator in 2012. Lashlee’s offense is predictable by speed, not just by players who run fast; the unit must move quicker.
While as the offensive coordinator Miami, he spoke about harnessing that trait.
“That’s what I think sometimes is a disconnect with people watching TV saying, ‘Why don’t they just do this? It seems so easy,'” he said. “It may be easy for us or the person watching, but is it easy for the kids, or is it for them to execute at a high level consistently?
“I think it’s our job for us to teach them in a way they can understand things like calculus that seem like basic arithmetic. Any time we can do that for kids, it allows them to play fast mentally and physically and let their abilities take over.”
Lashlee could be a smart pick, considering the connections that he keeps with Florida high school coaches, due to his stint as the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami.
Bottom Line
Everyone believes that Kiffin has the first choice to accept or decline the UF job. Still, the coach could decide that Mississippi is the place for him and may choose to stay. That leaves Florida with one large hole to fill. Which one of the others should they choose if the presumed Kiffin deal falls through?