As the Florida Gators consider Billy Napier’s future in the coming days or weeks, they’ll have to weigh the risks and rewards of hitting the reset button — again.
The possibility of another coaching search led us to the historical archives. Does rapidly cycling through struggling coaches eventually lead to success?
We’re still not sure.
If — again, if — the Gators fire Napier before the end of 2025, he’ll be the fourth consecutive coach who failed to last four full seasons: Will Muschamp (fired before the end of Year 4), Jim McElwain (out after 34 games) and Dan Mullen (canned before his fourth year’s regular-season finale). Only a handful of Florida’s peers have experienced a comparable stretch of firing-fueled turnover, and most had circumstances beyond their records.
Here’s a look at the closest historical examples we could find, as Napier prepares for another make-or-break game against UCF:
Miami (1971-79)
The turnover king with four consecutive coaches that lasted only two seasons: Fran Curci, Pete Elliott, Carl Selmer and Lou Saban. Curci and Selmer were a combined 14-29. But Elliott and Saban both resigned — Elliott to become athletic director, Saban to coach Army.
What happened next: Miami replaced Saban with Howard Schnellenberger, who won the state’s first national championship in 1983 and became the patriarch of The U’s dynasty.
Miami (2007-21)
Different than Florida for two reasons: Al Golden lasted into Year 5, and Mark Richt retired. But their tenures were bookended by the firings of Randy Shannon (four seasons) and Manny Diaz (three). This four-coach stretch combined for only four ranked finishes and a 107-75 record.
What happened next: Miami pushed out Diaz to hire native son Mario Cristobal from Oregon. After a 12-13 start, he’s 5-0 this fall and has the No. 8 Hurricanes in the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/does-constant-college-football-coaching-160100836.html
Author : Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Publish date : 2024-10-03 16:01:00
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