Gator Chomp: Potential Florida Head Coaching Candidates

Written by Carter Ball

Like it or not, the 2025 Florida Gators are a mess. A rough 3-4 start to the year has resulted in the firing of Billy Napier on Sunday. The Florida football program is in need of change, and when they pursue a head coach this offseason, here are some names to watch.

1. Dan Mullen

Dan Mullen during his first stint as Florida’s HC just 5 years ago

Mullen was the HC at UF just three years ago, where he went 34-15 as the man in charge. Mullen led the Gators to the SEC Championship Game in 2020 and led an offense that put up 46 points against the eventual national champions that season. However, the knock on Mullen was always his “inability” to recruit, but after a 2025 cycle full of decommitments, the current state of UF recruiting is not much improved. Mullen, currently the coach at UNLV, has the Rebels starting strong. If given the offer, Mullen would almost definitely run it back for part two as the man in charge in Gainesville. The grass was not greener for the Gators, and they have the opportunity to make up for the mistake that was firing Mullen by reuniting with him this offseason.

2. Rhett Lashlee

SMU HC Rhett Lashlee

As the man in charge of SMU, Lashlee brought the Mustangs all the way back from the death penalty to make the CFP last season and won the ACC Coach of the Year award. After a rough start in 2025 for SMU, however, Lashlee’s time on the Hilltop could be up, and he could be a top candidate to return to the state of Florida, where he has experience, as he used to be the OC at Miami. Lashlee’s winning ways and proven ability to rebuild a program leave him as an intriguing HC candidate for a Florida team with quadruple the resources of SMU.

3. Jon Gruden

Gruden during his brief stint as the Raiders’ head coach

A football junkie and one of the sport’s most renowned voices with loads of NFL experience, Gruden fits the mindset necessary to succeed in the SEC perfectly. Gruden is intense, smart, and itching to make a return to coaching. Jon Gruden would be a great hire in Gainesville and could bring life to a program that currently seems lifeless during an abysmal start to the 2025 campaign.

4. Brian Hartline

OSU WR coach Brian Hartline

After being given play-calling duties for the first time in 2025, luring Hartline away from his alma mater, Ohio State, where he has been the mastermind behind a long line of first-round receivers as the Buckeyes’ WR coach for the last few years, will be difficult. However, the opportunity to be the man in charge of an SEC team with the history of Florida is simply too good of an opportunity to turn down. UF needs to consider opening up its checkbook and pursuing Hartline, who could potentially bring Florida natives Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate with him to Gainesville, surrounding DJ Lagway with one of the best receiving corps in the country. Hartline is a long shot, but could revitalize this UF program.

5. Alex Golesh

USF HC Alex Golesh

Golesh has been the HC at USF for two years, where under his reign the Bulls defeated the Gators just weeks ago. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ’em, hire ’em. Golesh has experience with the region, and his potential as an HC for a program with the resources of UF is close to unmatched. I expect Golesh to emerge as a hot commodity in the coaching carousel this offseason, and UF is a perfect fit for both sides. If I were Scott Stricklin, Golesh would be my first call this offseason and would provide a unique opportunity to grow the UF program in the same way he has revitalized USF.

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