The Florida Gators have now played two games since firing head coach Jim McElwain, and with just two games remaining in the season, there are plenty of rumors to sort through regarding who they want to replace him once the season is over. Here's all the latest you need to know:
Florida officials meet with Kelly
The Gators appear to have turned their full attention to Chip Kelly in their effort to replace McElwain, and school officials flew to meet with him on Tuesday, according to The Read Optional’s Trey Wallace.
Source: Gator Reps are headed too talk with Chip Kelly. Things are picking up on the @SEC coaching searches.
— Trey Wallace (@TreyW_Radio) November 14, 2017
Darren Heitner, a Florida-based lawyer, reports that things are moving so fast with Kelly that they could hire him by the end of the week.
Confirmed that UF is looking at Chip Kelly as next head coach. Decision could be as soon as this week. Also heard that Florida was becoming very frustrated with Jimmy Sexton, who represents many other potential candidates. Chip is represented by David Dunn.
— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) November 13, 2017
Florida receives "verbal commitment" from SEC that there will be no problems hiring Chip Kelly
Why is that the case? According to Heitner, the SEC has given Florida a "verbal commitment" that there will be no issues with hiring Kelly based on past NCAA infractions.
“According to one source I’ve spoken to this morning, there has at least been some sort of verbal commitment that there won’t be an issue,” Heitner told WJOX 94.5 FM. “Based on that, if that one source is correct, again, we could see this become very fast-moving.”
Kelly received an 18-month show-cause penalty from the NCAA for major recruiting violations after leaving Oregon for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. As such, the SEC would have to clear Kelly is one of its schools wanted to hire him.
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Steve Spurrier says that Florida will hire a coach "within 3-4 weeks"
Spurrier, however, thinks Florida's next coach won't be Kelly. When speaking to the Buddy Martin Radio Show, Spurrier said that the new coach will be named "within 3-4 weeks" but that the new coach is currently coaching his team - meaning it won't be Kelly.
“The coach is with his team now," Spurrier said. "The coach we’re going to hire is probably, I would almost 100 percent say, is coaching his team today, this weekend, and through the end of the season, and maybe through the bowl game.”
Spurrier is known to be in favor of UCF head coach Scott Frost, who is another leading candidate for the Florida job.
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