It looks like the University of Florida's long, winding road of a coaching search could be coming around the final turn and entering the home stretch.

Chip Kelly On UF's Radar?

Early contenders like Dan Mullen, Mike Gundy, and Hugh Freeze have come and gone, and though Gators athletic Jeremy Foley has kicked the tires on NFL talents like Chip Kelly and Josh McDaniels, neither seems likely to leave their cushy pro gigs. Speculation has now turned to Colorado State head coach Jim McElwain.

Yahoo! Sport's Pat Forde first reported on late Tuesday afternoon that Foley was actually en route on a cross-country flight to Colorado, in order to meet with the Rams third-year head coach in person.

McElwain took over the CSU program when it had experienced back-to-back 3-9 seasons, and now has them at 10-2 in 2014. That alone is a great highlight for any coach's resume, but Florida is also interested in him due to his SEC experience (he was an offensive coordinator under Alabama's Nick Saban from 2008 to 2011).

If there is a hindrance to the Gators ultimately landing McElwain, it will probably be due to finances. McElwain's contract with Colorado State contains a $7.5 million dollar price tag in the event of a buy-out. Still, multiple sources indicate this could be all but a done deal.