NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 17: Steve Spurrier watches from the sideline prior to the game between Ohio State and Oklahoma at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Legendary Florida coach Steve Spurrier hints at possible candidates who could replace Jim McElwain

Here's what Spurrier had to say.

As the Florida Gators near the end of their disastrous 2017 football season, much of the focus has now been placed on finding its next head coach. The university fired head coach Jim McElwain last week and are now searching for a replacement.

While candidates like Scott Frost, Dan Mullen, Mike Norvell and Charlie Strong are among the favorites to land the job, former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier offered his opinion on the next head coach in an interview on The Buddy Martin Show.

"Scott Stricklin, our AD, he's well-connected around the country, and I believe we'll have an excellent coach here in 3-4 weeks. ... The [new] coach is with his team now. The coach we're going to hire is probably - I would almost 100 percent say - is coaching his team today, this weekend and through the end of the season and maybe through the bowl game."

That would seem to eliminate rumored options like Bob Stoops, Les Miles, or even Spurrier himself.

With the success of UCF this season, most believe Frost is the frontrunner for quite a few head coaching jobs, including the Gators job. While Frost has said all of the right things to this point that he'd like to remain with UCF, it remains to be seen if he'll ultimately leave or not.

Most believe the next Gators head coach is currently with a program now and may not be ready to take over at Florida until the end of the season. Spurrier's comments reiterate what most have been thinking and that means it could still be a few weeks until we see who will ultimately take over.