Kirk Herbstreit predicts Florida's next head coach after Billy Napier's firing

With the firing of Florida coach Billy Napier, it's open season on speculation for Napier's replacement. With Florida in a down cycle since the years of Urban Meyer, it's safe to assume the Gators are casting a wide (and expensive) net for Napier's potential replacement. Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on the situation on College GameDay and dropped his own picks to replace Napier, naming both the obviously leader a potential second option.

Herbstreit's picks

Isn't it obvious that Lane Kiffin seems to be the guy that everyone is talking about? Who else, if Lane doesn't take it.... How about James Franklin as a second candidate? Kirk Herbstreit

Kiffin's Case

Amid rumors of massive contract offers and reports that Kiffin is meeting with his Ole Miss team during the current season to discuss his situation with Florida, it is safe to assume that UF athletic director Scott Stricklin would love to nab the Ole Miss coach.

The logic behind the pick is obvious. Since Dan Mullen went south at Florida, the Gators have mostly struggled on offense and Kiffin is one of the top established offensive minds in college football. Since taking over at Ole Miss in 2020, Kiffin has picked up as many 10-win seasons (three) as the program had since 1962 up until his hiring. His 50-19 record and ability to work the transfer portal culture suggests a strong resume for Kiffin.

Franklin's Resume

Franklin was a bit of a curveball as a second choice, and may have been named in part to see what sort of reaction he would draw from the Vanderbilt crowd at College GameDay. Franklin, who is three years older than Kiffin, came to prominence by posting a 24-15 record at Vanderbilt in three seasons, which is among the best runs in recent Vanderbilt history.

He jumped for the Penn State job, where the story is mixed. His 104-45 record (64-36 in Big Ten play) is impressive as are his six seasons with 10+ wins in 11 full seasons at Penn State. But Franklin won only a single Big Ten title and never took Penn State farther than the CFP semifinal he reached last season. For a fan base hungry for championships, a close second proved untenable for Franklin, resulting in his firing after a 3-3 start to 2025.

Florida's search is doubtless complicated by the fact that only three active college head coaches have won FBS national titles. But Herbstreit identified a pair of strong candidates for the Florida vacancy.