The most nuclear Billy Napier replacement at Florida is actually an awful idea

If the Florida Gators were to fire head coach Billy Napier, only to hire one of their former head coaches in Urban Meyer, the entire Sunshine State might drift off into the Gulf of Mexico. Florida has not been able to achieve anywhere close to Meyer's run of success in Gainesville during the mid-to-late 2000s. He abruptly retired for health reasons, only to resurface as the next Ohio State head coach in 2012.

It may not be working out for Napier in Florida, but he is a better man than college football's persona non grata. FOX hired him to be a takesmith, but they don't care about hiring controversial figures. In fact, that is kind of their M.O., to be totally honest. And even though I know who good of a college head coach Meyer is, so much has changed since he last led the Ohio State Buckeyes back in 2018.

We live in the wonderful world of NIL in college athletics. This would be something Meyer would have to adjust to. He is also 60 years old now, and is completely blackballed from working in the NFL ever again after the unmitigated disaster his run as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars went. Do you think Jaguars owner Shahid Khan will let Meyer coach in his stadium vs. their arch rival Georgia?

Keep in mind Florida fired one of Meyer's greatest disciples in Dan Mullen to then hire Napier, too.

Florida is eventually going to hire the right head coach to lead the Gators, but it can't be Meyer again.

Florida should not hire Urban Meyer to replace Billy Napier for any reason

Look. This is the arch rival of my alma mater. I do not care for Florida, but I respect their football program. They have passionate fans and love this sport so much. For whatever reason, the football program has usually been chaotic, outside of when they hire a generational head coach. 1966 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier was that in the 1990s. Meyer was that in the late 2000s.

You look across the board at Florida's biggest rivals in-conference and in-state. Georgia is dynastic. LSU remains playoff viable. Tennessee is in its best spot as a program since the peak Phillip Fulmer years. While it is hitting the fan in spectacular fashion over in Tallahassee, Miami seems to have struck gold in the transfer portal down in Coral Gables. We also need to keep an eye on those in Orlando...

What I think Florida needs to do is hire an offensive-minded head coach who has succeed in the SEC before, but also loves to recruit. Mullen's reluctance to recruiting was his downfall in Gainesville. A lack of Power Five head coaching experience is eating Napier alive. Will Muschamp was a savvy defensive mind. Before Jim McElwain lost his mind jumping the shark, he wasn't Power Five material.

If Florida really wants to get this right, I would pursue one of four head coaches. Jedd Fisch may leave Washington to come back to his alma mater, but even he may need a few more years of Power Four success under his belt. Could you pry Lane Kiffin out of Oxford? Would Eliah Drinkwitz leave Missouri for this? Is Florida the right SEC job to convince Gus Malzahn to leave a pretty good thing in Orlando?

Right now, that is who Florida should at least be looking at, if they do want to move on from Napier. After getting steamrolled by Miami in The Swamp, this might be a 2-10 team. While keeping your hands at 10-2 should get to to the College Football Playoff most years in the Power Two, crossing your hands to go 2-10 means you are going to take that ultimate driving machine into the ditch.

Reaching into one's past is never a good idea, but this would be a beyond atrocious one for Florida.