The University of Florida football program's search for a head coach remains one of the most compelling off-field stories of the college football season.
With Will Muschamp officially ousted from the position following the team's regular season finale against Florida State Saturday, UF athletic director Jeremy Foley is now ready to extend an actual offer to whatever candidate he ultimately deems fit.
Florida Head Coaching Decision To Come Before Christmas?
As of Sunday night, Foley has reportedly decided to extend that offer to Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze, according to SB Nation's Steven Godfrey, among other sources.
Rumors place UF's overtures to Freeze as being somewhere north of the $4 million dollar range. Reports also state that Ole Miss is simultaneously offering to up his pay to a similar amount in order to retain the coach's services.
Freeze is 24-14 in his three years with Ole Miss, including two bowl wins. His 2014 Running Rebels are also the only team in the nation to defeat No. 1 Alabama this season.
Mike Gundy No Longer A Candidate For Florida?
Speculation about who will ultimately claim the Gators gig has been rampant, and unpredictable. Originally, individuals like Arizona's Rich Rodriguez and Mississippi State's Dan Mullen were thought to be Florida's prime interests, but those reports were debunked. Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy became the prohibitive favorite amongst journalists and Vegas oddsmakers for a number of days, but his prospects, too, were dismissed last week.
Whether it's Freeze who ultimately gets the job or another as-of-now-unknown figure, the Gators hiree will have a daunting task of rebuilding the program in the powerhouse SEC. The Gators have lost 27 games and won only one major bowl game since the team's heyday of two national championships in three years between 2006 and 2008.
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