The Florida Gators are clearly focused on Lane Kiffin as their top target as they search for the program’s next head coach.
But, if Kiffin elects to stay with Ole Miss or take his coaching talents to LSU, Florida will need to turn its attention elsewhere.
Florida is reportedly casting a wider net in its coaching search following the dismissal of now-former Gators head coach Billy Napier earlier this year. And according to Florida coaching legend Steve Spurrier, there are some attractive options outside of the Power Four conferences.
During Monday’s episode of “Another Dooley Noted Podcast,” Spurrier identified James Madison’s Bob Chesney and Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as good secondary options if Kiffin says no.
“There’s a lot of good coaches out there that might not be coaches in the Power 4 right now,” Spurrier said. “The guy at James Madison [Chesney], the guy at Tulane [Sumrall]. There’s a lot of really good one that have consistent records for winning. If we end up with one of those coaches, he may be better than the big name coaches. We don’t know. You just don’t know.”
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Both Sumrall and Chesney have been popular names floated in this year’s college football coaching carousel.
Sumrall has the Tulane Green Wave poised with a 9-2 record heading into their season finale, boasting No. 24 position in the College Football Playoff rankings. The 43-year-old coach has a 41-11 overall record over two seasons with Troy and two seasons with Tulane.
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Chesney and JMU are 10-1, winning nine consecutive games since suffering their lone loss to the Louisville Cardinals in Week 2. In his first season as head coach of the Dukes in 2024, Chesney led the team to a 9-4 record and a Boca Raton Bowl victory.
Kiffin will announce a decision on his coaching future after Ole Miss’ Egg Bowl matchup this weekend.