Florida football among schools in ‘7 coaches this century’ club
Things were going great during the 1990s under head coach Steve Spurrier, who resuscitated the program after the scandal-marred decade of the 1980s. However, the stability the Head Ball Coach brought to the sidelines of the Swamp came to an abrupt end after the turn of the millennium when Florida’s golden boy left Gainesville for the then-named Washington Redskins.
Following a weird tenure by Ron Zook, Gator Nation found its savior in Urban Meyer, who led the Orange and Blue to two national titles — the highwater mark in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. However, once again, fate did not let the golden era last long. Meyer dealt with reported health issues that were allegedly tied to the stress of the job, ultimately leading to his departure.
Since then, a carousel of mediocrity has lasted more than a decade, with Billy Napier up as the next contestant on “The Coach Is Right” show. Time will tell if he is the one to break the rut or if the cycle of coaches will continue.
Take a look below at the seven different head coaches that have walked the sidelines of the Swamp since the turn of the millennium, according to On3, making Florida one of six programs to have earned the notorious distinction.
Steve Spurrier
Scott Halleran/Allsport
Years: 1990-2001
Overall Record: 122-27-1
SEC Record: 87-12
Bowl Game Record: 6-5
Ron Zook
A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Years: 2002-2004
Overall Record: 23-14
SEC Record: 16-8
Bowl Game Record: 0-2
Urban Meyer
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Years: 2005-2010
Overall Record: 65-15
SEC Record: 36-13
Bowl Game Record: 5-1
Will Muschamp
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Years: 2011-2014
Overall Record: 28-21
SEC Record: 17-15
Bowl Game Record: 1-1
Jim McElwain
AP Photo/John Raoux
Years: 2015-2017
Overall Record: 22-12
SEC Record: 16-6
Bowl Game Record: 1-1
Dan Mullen
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Years: 2018-2021
Overall Record: 34-15
SEC Record: 21-13
Bowl Game Record: 2-1
Billy Napier
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Years: 2022-present
Overall Record: 6-7
SEC Record: 3-5
Bowl Game Record: 0-1
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