Nine games into the season, it seemed likely that Napier might not survive another year.

The Gators had a record of 4-5 and were facing a potential fourth consecutive losing season, three of which would have come under Napier’s leadership.

However, the team rallied and won four straight games to finish the season, including victories over the Ole Miss Rebels, LSU Tigers and Tulane Green Wave in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.

The impressive turnaround secured Napier’s position for at least one more season.

During an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum mentioned two coaches he believed might have been considered for the job had it become available.

“Let’s say Napier completely imploded, they needed to swing big,” Finebaum said. “I think it would have come down to two people: Lane Kiffin or Bill Belichick. What a diverse choice that would have been.”

Kiffin has significantly improved the Ole Miss program. He was brought on after the team had four consecutive non-winning seasons and has racked up a 44-18 record during his tenure.

In his second season, Kiffin led the Rebels to a 10-3 record and has since achieved two additional seasons with 10 or more wins in the following three years, including an impressive 11-2 record in 2023, which marks the highest number of wins in the program’s history.

Belichick is a well-known name, but he has not coached at the college level.

He has achieved 333 wins in the NFL, primarily with the New England Patriots, which ranks second all-time. His six Super Bowl victories and nine conference championships are the most in history.

Since the Florida job didn’t open, he accepted the head coaching position with the North Carolina Tar Heels after they parted ways with Mack Brown following the regular season.

While Kiffin and Belichick would both be high-profile hires, the Gators are optimistic they have found the right coach to build upon the momentum from four consecutive wins to close out last season.