Florida State Football: 3 lessons from win over rival Florida

3. Florida is increasingly becoming an unattractive rebuild job

Before they took the field against Florida State on Saturday, the Gators learned that Chip Kelly had chosen UCLA over Florida as his next head coaching gig. Another top pick to take over in Gainesville, UCF’s Scott Frost, appears to be headed on his way to take over at alma mater Nebraska. Then the Gators came out and suffered a fifth straight defeat to rival Florida State.

There are plenty of names that have been bandied about as viable prospects to head to the Swamp, and speculation has been high ever since McElwain parted ways with the Gators. But the rebuilding project that needs to take place in Gainesville is becoming less and less attractive for established coaches with each passing week.

Steve Spurrier turned the Gators into a national brand in the 1990s. Urban Meyer revived the program during his tenure at Florida, but heightened expectations and flagging health led him to walk away from the school. Given its position in fertile recruiting territory and institutional support, the Florida job should be a hot commodity in the coaching community.

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But things have taken such a nosedive in Gainesville that the Gators will likely have to take another chance on an unproven candidate. That’s what they did with McElwain, and the gamble backfired. Whoever comes in to take the job will have the pressure to win immediately or face a similar firing squad.