GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Even though Florida has retained a search firm to help land the school’s next football coach, athletic director Scott Stricklin said Monday he will have final say in the hiring process.

And he won’t be in a rush to get it done.

Thanks to new NCAA legislation, teams that fire head coaches during the season no longer trigger an open window for players to enter the transfer portal. So, the Gators have weeks, maybe even months, to find Billy Napier’s replacement.

“Time is an asset,” Stricklin said Monday, a day after firing Napier . “You would certainly I think it’s going to be beneficial. The more time you have, the easier it is.”

The main dates that are important in the process: national signing day, Dec. 3, and the opening of the transfer portal, Jan. 2. If St

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