As the coaching carousel turns and Florida Gators fans start dreaming of a new coach, it is clear that Lane Kiffin is Plan A for Florida's administration. But if Kiffin says no, there are several other worthy candidates out there for Florida to go after.
The one name that keeps getting floated as a Plan B that would not be a great fit in Gainesville is current Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz.
Eli Drinkwitz would be a disaster in Gainesville
Drinkwitz was the head coach at App State for one season, went 12-1 in 2019 before quickly departing for Missouri.
He was an extremely ho-hum 17-19 over his first three seasons before going 11-2 in 2023, 10-3 in 2024, and he is off to a 6-1 start in 2025.
His 2023 offense was a top 25 scoring offense, and he is once again in the top 25 in 2025. Considering Missouri barely cracks the top 25 in talent composite, it's a sign that Drinkwitz is able to punch above his weight.
There is just one teeny, tiny problem with Missouri over these past three seasons:
The Tigers have benefitted from some fortunate scheduling and tend to get blown out when they have to play someone good.
Since arriving at Missouri, Drinkwitz is 1-8 against AP top ten opponents, with the lone win coming against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Of the eight losses to top ten opponents, six have been by at least nine points.
Last year, when Missouri went 10-3, the only ranked win was against then No. 24 Boston College, which wound up finishing 7-6 on the season. This year, even though they are 6-1, the only win they have over a team with a winning record was their come-from-behind win over Kansas (currently 4-3).
Drinkwitz is nothing more than the SEC's DHgate version of James Franklin.
Culture matters too
That's all before we get to the cultural fit, which does matter when hiring a coach. Part of the reason why Florida fans seem deadset on Lane Kiffin is that his quips and mannerisms feel natural and feel like the second coming of Steve Spurrier.
Drinkwitz tries to chirp and make his quips, but often he feels like a guy who is trying way too hard to get noticed. His mannerisms feel very Jim McElwain-like, and there is a reason why McElwain just never fit in with Gator fans.
Like Kiffin, and like a bunch of other coaches on Florida's list, Drinkwitz will probably try to play up the Florida job to his agent to get a better deal.
We can only hope the actual level of interest from Florida stays minimal.