Fan connection

No one did it like Spurrier. His quips and quirks are legendary. His deep connection to UF is from a bygone era. Some fans want the Head Ball Coach at age 72 back on the sideline.

Zook, a lifetime assistant, was tongue-tied and rough edged. But unlike Spurrier, The Zooker never skipped a Gator Club and looked to connect with fans. He also earned respect with an insane work ethic.

Meyer was aloof, but he delivered results. He was robotic, but repeated UF was the pinnacle of college football.

Muschamp grew up in Gainesville, went to Florida Field and took pride in being the Gators’ coach. Muschamp was well liked. His defense-first philosophy was not.

McElwain’s corn-pone humor and pop culture references were refreshing when the Gators won.

Recruiting was Zook’s bread and butter. His topranked 2003 class featured six five-star recruits and was the foundation of Meyer’s first national title team. Five players in Zook’s first class had NFL careers.

Meyer’s top-ranked 2007 class is one of the best of all-time, and the previous year he signed Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.

Muschamp had an eye for defensive talent. Tenacious on the recruiting trail, Muschamp did let some positions, like offensive line, languish.

Using a laid-back approach, McElwain over-relied on his staff’s evaluations and decisions. UF consequently missed out on some top prospects.