The survey, conducted during the recently concluded bowl season, asked
coaches to list, anonymously, their top five dream jobs in college football.
Florida, based largely on its great weather, strong in-state recruiting
base, state-of-the-art facilities and overwhelming fan support, came out on
top.
The Gators tallied 74 points, 18 more than second-place Texas. Six of the
26 coaches ranked Florida first on their ballots, one more than Notre Dame,
which finished fifth in the overall voting. Rounding out the top five was
Florida State, which finished third with 43 points, and Miami, which
finished fourth with 36 points.
But it was being the head coach at Florida, many coaches say, that is the
dream job in all of college football. For that reason, the Gators' job
opening may stir even more big-name attention than that at Notre Dame in
recent weeks. The Fighting Irish named their new head coach, Tyrone
Willingham, on Tuesday after George O'Leary stepped down after a five-day
tenure for lying about his academic and athletic accomplishments.
"I'm sure everybody was drooling this morning," one head coach from the
West said when polled Friday, after news of Spurrier's departure broke.
"They were looking around at what had just happened and the drool started to
fall."
And there's good reason why. Spurrier proved a coach can win at Florida
-- and win big. Under his direction, the Gators won six Southeastern
Conference titles and the national championship, in 1996.
Florida was the only school in SEC history and only one of three in major
college history, to win at least 10 games in each of six straight seasons,
from 1993-98. Their No. 3 ranking this season makes the Gators only the
sixth team in major college history to rank in the Top 12 of the final polls
in each of 12 straight seasons.
In other words, it can be done in Florida. And done well.
"No. 1 is the location. They have great weather," said a head coach from
the Midwest who voted the Gators No. 1. "And they are in a great position to
acquire talent with the tremendous high school football players they have in
the state of Florida.
"Then you talk about the natural rivalries they have with Miami and
Florida, the attraction that the SEC presents in recruiting and then playing
your home games at the Swamp, one of the greatest atmospheres in college
football, and it's a no-brainer."
Florida is 68-5 in the Swamp since 1990, including a 40-3 record against
SEC teams.
Then there's the overwhelming commitment for success from the athletic
department. Prior to his resignation Friday, Spurrier was one of a handful
of college coaches whose compensation package exceeded $2 million.
And this past fall Florida began a $50 million renovation of Ben Hill
Griffin Stadium, with plans for an extended press level, new radio and TV
booths, 2,900 chair-back seats on a new club level, 28 new luxury suites and
a complete renovation of the 28 current suites.
"It just seems like there's everything you'd want," said a head coach
from the West. "With the financial backing of the university, the great
stadium, the fan support. People down there truly care about winning."
None of this takes into consideration Florida's national television
appearances. Prior to this season, no team played in more nationally
televised games than the Gators, save for Notre Dame, which has its own
television contract with NBC.
Even the coaches that didn't vote Florida in their top five had praise
for the Gators. One in particular, a former Miami assistant who put the
Hurricanes on top of his ballot, was a tad embarrassed when asked why he
left off the Gators.
"Oops. I guess I kinda forgot about that one," the coach said. "It's so
tough to narrow it down to five. But Florida would be right up there with
Miami and the best of them. Without question."
The coach said when he was an assistant with the Hurricanes, the staff in
Coral Gables knew that Florida was a sleeping giant.
"At Miami, things were going pretty good and we were having a great run,
but we would talk that if Florida ever got the right coach in there and
could get the ball rolling, you better watch out. And then they got
Spurrier."
Which begs a question: Can Spurrier's successor be successful?
"It's the type of situation where Steve built such a strong foundation
there, that just about anybody who goes in there will be solid," the coach
said. "Because all the tools for success are right there in front of you."
Wayne Drehs is a staff writer for ESPN.com
