A 41-17 blowout loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the season opener put Billy Napier’s job performance under the microscope, and a 33-20 defeat to Texas A&M two weeks later only turned up the heat.
However, the Florida Gators have performed well enough since to warrant continued support from athletic director Scott Stricklin, who announced Napier isn’t going anywhere.
Why Is Florida Retaining Head Coach Billy Napier?
In a letter to the fanbase Thursday, Stricklin asked Florida supporters to “continue standing behind Billy and his dedicated team while we work together to build a championship program.”
A message from Scott Stricklin pic.twitter.com/NpLD6ktrHj
— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) November 7, 2024
With four games left on the season, including three straight ranked matchups (at No. 5 Texas, vs. No. 15 LSU, and vs. No. 16 Ole Miss), Napier is 15-18 overall and 8-13 in the SEC with the Gators.
In 2021, Florida fired Dan Mullen after four years, a 34-15 record, three New Year’s Six bowl games, two 10-win campaigns, and an SEC East title.
To replace him, they hired Napier, a former Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban assistant who was coming off two straight AP Poll-ranked seasons as the head coach at Louisiana. It hasn’t gone well.
Napier’s 45.4% winning percentage is the worst by a full-time Florida head coach since the 1940s. Additionally, the Gators’ seven home losses under Napier are two more than they suffered with Urban Meyer (80 total contests) and Steve Spurrier (150), who each coached in far more games in Gainesville.
Yet, what’s worse than the sheer number of losses is who Florida lost to and how they did. Napier is 1-7 against program rivals Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State. If we add Miami and LSU, that record is 1-11. With most of those teams landing on the AP Poll, it’s not surprising Napier is just 2-13 vs. ranked programs.
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Sorry, Florida faithful, there’s more. Ten of Napier’s 18 losses have been by double-digits; in three others, the Gators trailed by at least 10 points. Included in the latter category are unforgettable losses to Vanderbilt (2022) and Arkansas (2023), casting a darker shadow on the Napier era.
Yet, Stricklin has shared unwavering support for his head coach, repeatedly saying Napier just needs time to succeed. It’s also worth noting that interim president Kent Fuchs hired both Napier and Stricklin, likely giving them longer leashes than a new president might. And, of course, there’s the fact that Napier’s buyout would exceed $26 million, plus the cost to bring on an entirely new staff.
What Are the Expectations for the Gators in 2025 and Beyond?
Following the loss to the Aggies, Napier shrugged off hot-seat talks:
“These are all hypothetical scenarios. I think for me, I’m gonna try to model what I would expect from our players and some of those things I just talked about, I think that’s the whole key is that as a whole staff and throughout the organization, we have to model what we would expect from the players and want from the players. And that, for me, is total focus on the next opportunity to improve.”
Well, he’ll have an offseason to cash in on what will likely be his final opportunity to improve before being canned. But the Gators don’t need a significant infusion of transfer talent — they just need their young talent to hit.
Sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that 70% of Florida’s name, image, and likeness money is tied to freshmen and sophomores, including five-star dual-threat QB DJ Lagway and impressive RB Jadan Baugh.
They were able to take No. 8 Tennessee to overtime and played well against No. 2 Georgia, even with Lagway leaving early due to a hamstring injury. However, Napier needs to look in the mirror and at his coaching staff if he hopes to remain in Gainesville.
Poor decision-making has plagued his time in the Sunshine State. While he has refused to declare who calls offensive or defensive plays, the Gators have two offensive coordinators, two defensive coordinators, and two offensive line coaches — that can’t be the case next year.
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To regain the fanbase’s faith, Napier needs a winning season featuring victories over ranked and rival opponents. If he and his staff can’t deliver a turnaround next year, even Stricklin and Fuchs won’t be able to justify another year in Gainesville.
Napier has one last chance to deliver the promise he made at his introductory press conference — “We’re going to build the best football team in the SEC conference” — before joining the actual gators in the swamp.
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