re: Who can bring Florida back?

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Foley is the Walt of the Disney Gators. Foley is the one who fk'd UF football. Hired Zook, McELwain, Muschamp and recommended Starkville Scott. Not to mention he refused to update facilities and join the arms race. Fk Folley. His minions are the Disney Gators.

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can’t be said enough times

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Hoping Florida keeps their streak going and bombs this hire, too!


We know you do.
Yeah, I still remember how you used to cry how unfair it was LSU had to face UF every year.

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I was at LSU in the 90s. Picture it: Peak Spurrier vs "peak" Dinardo.

Oh the arse kickings we suffered, except that one magical night in '97.

It left me a bitter and salty man with a gator hate in my heart so powerful that it has not been quenched by 3 natties and 5 SEC championships, even as UF gradually degenerated into bottom-feeder status.

I just hope the dysfunction and entitlement in Gainesville is deeply rooted enough to contaminate this hiring process, too.

Heck, y'all may even keep Billy another year. A feller can dream, right!

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Do you think Lea would leave, with him playing there and being an ALUM


100%. Florida isn’t a job you say no to and stay at Vandy.

Florida should back the truck up for Lea. He’s winning at the worst school resource wise in the SEC.

Give him UF’s resources and he’s winning nattys

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He's from Nashville, almost his entire extended family lives in Nashville, went to high school down the street from Vandy, grew up a die hard Vandy fan, and played football at Vandy.

He's not "just an alum". He's a local. And he's making millions of dollars to have very low expectations. They could go 6-6 every year and he would have a job for a very long time if he occasionally beats a big time program (which he will).

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He's a man. He's 40. Stop wasting time.

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Yeah, you need a program architect at this point at Florida, not a coach.

I think Gundy could be the right fit, IF Florida (the AD and UAA) are willing to hand over the keys and pony up the $ to compete.

Gundy:
1) built a program over the long term from nothing to something, therefore he knows how to architect and manage a program, beyond just the coaches room
2) Has a laundry list of frustrations how to do things better and therefore a vision to implement
3) Has the gravitas to command control of a program if offered, and therefore wrest control of the program narrative back from the squabbling factions and the UAA’s backseat driving
4) Has the creative X’s and O’s bona fides from his past to compel recruits to come play for him.
5) It’s Florida. Regional and/or alumni ties are overrated selling points to attract coaches and recruits to the program. Give them structure, money, and wins, and you’re back to the 90’s.

He and his brother, who would come with him, by their own words remain highly motivated.

Given his age it would be an excellent marriage to implement change and structure without having to hand over the entire treasure chest with a long-term offer or huge buyout clause for fear of poaching. I could see Gundy doing it for 5-6 years and calling it a career, which would be perfect for both sides. The back-half of that phase even could allow for him to groom a HCIW.

The more I think about it, it really is a perfect fit.

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Good point, but that's alotta money to compete with. He's also got a much easier road into the playoff every year.

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All true, but Florida is a more desirable job. While the current era of CFB isn't easy at any coaching job, location wise it's got to be a lot more appealing than the talent dry pacific northwest.

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talent dry pacific northwes

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Oregon gets a lot of kids from California. Despite what demographic trends state, that state will most likely have the numbers advantage for a long time. Plus there’s a lot of money there. Which means private schools and private schools fund their own football programs ad Infinitum.

The talent of California high schools may not be on par defensively as the Deep South, but for QBs and wide receivers, they are as good as you’ll find outside of Texas and a few southeastern states. Plus with NIL, kids don’t mind going to the other side of the country these days.

Butch Jones

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With Florida, if you can keep the talent in state you can be a contender, let alone getting into the rest of the SEC territory for recruiting.

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Washington has more population that Oregon and they do get some blue chippers at UO from that state. With Florida, you’re right that if in state talent stays at UF, that’s a huge advantage. Used to be that way under spurrier and to a lesser degree, Meyer. He actually got a lot of kids from up the east coast and in to Texas as well. I just think with UF, being how there’s a ton of competition just within state alone, a new coach definitely would have to expand the footprint to other states, and maybe not just within the SEC geographical range.

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Washington has more population that Oregon and they do get some blue chippers at UO from that state. With Florida, you’re right that if in state talent stays at UF, that’s a huge advantage. Used to be that way under spurrier and to a lesser degree, Meyer. He actually got a lot of kids from up the east coast and in to Texas as well. I just think with UF, being how there’s a ton of competition just within state alone, a new coach definitely would have to expand the footprint to other states, and maybe not just within the SEC geographical range.

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The new HC has to prioritize FL and GA.
Everything after that is gravy (NC/SC/TX)