As the coaching search for the Florida Gators is about to enter week three, there have been plenty of names tossed around. Lane Kiffin is the clear frontrunner in the eyes of Gator fans, but the betting markets haven't always viewed him as the frontrunner.
But now, as money is starting to pour in, Kiffin appears to be in the lead in the eyes of Vegas to be the next head coach for the Gators.
Lane Kiffin leads the pack as the betting favorite for the Gators
Kiffin wasn't always the betting odds favorite. In fact, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz was the betting odds favorite over the past week. We here at Hail Florida Hail have voiced our concerns with Drinkwitz, and we are not alone. Plenty of Gator fans have taken to social media to also voice the fact that they don't want Drinkwitz to come to Gainesville.
So perhaps due to a combination of Drinkwitz opposition and the fact that Kiffin hasn't exactly shut down Florida rumors, Kiffin has surged to the lead as the betting odds favorite to become Florida's next head coach:
- Lane Kiffin: -150
- Eli Drinkwitz: +120
- Jedd Fisch: +600
- James Franklin: +900
- Clark Lea: +1200
- Brent Key: +1600
- Kenny Dillingham: +1600
- Jeff Brohm: +2000
- Glenn Schumann: +1000
- Jon Summerall: +2000
- Alex Golesh: +2500
- Brian Kelly: +3300
- Joe Brady: +5000
- Jon Gruden: +5000
It's notable to see James Franklin as high as he is on this list, given that next to zero smoke that Florida has even the faintest interest in him. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea being ranked ahead of Louisville coach Jeff Brohm is also notable because, likewise, there hasn't been a ton of chatter about Lea.
Which is why it is also worth pointing out that these betting odds are super unofficial and are based as much on vibes as they are actual information.
But, as we say all the time, there is a reason why they build skyscrapers in the desert. Vegas has a way of being right more often than it tends to be wrong.