Following their upset loss against South Florida last week, word is getting around that Florida may be considering firing head coach Billy Napier as the football team prepares for a tough series of games against ranked opponents. However, analyst Pete Thamel is pointing out that firing Napier will be more complicated than just firing him and finding another coach.
During the College GameDay Podcast, ESPN’s Pete Thamel pointed out that in order to fire Billy Napier, Florida would still have to pay a $20.4 million buyout to the coach, and the school must pay $10.2 million of that within the first month of firing him.
“This is, like, $20 million, I believe $10 million in the first 30 days. I think it’s $20.4 million, $10 million or half of it in the first 30 days, and then they just have to pay the rest,” said the analyst. “Look, I don’t care where you are. Like, in modern college football, that’s a lot. That’s a lot of money, so that would be interesting.”
After paying Napier that initial $10.2 million in the first 30 days of his firing, the school will then have to pay him an additional amount of $2.5 million every July 15th until the final amount of $20.4 million has been fully paid. If they wait longer, that buyout would drop to just $13 million after 2026 and $6.1 million after 2027.
In his time at Florida, Napier has coached 40 games, including that shocking loss against USF. His overall record currently stands at 20-20, and many Florida fans think that this is not good enough, given the school’s football history.
Also read: Brian Kelly Gets 100% Real on Billy Napier’s Struggles at Florida Following USF Blowout Loss
Billy Napier is Not Planning to Resign as Florida Head Coach
As for Billy Napier himself, the Gators head coach has also been facing calls for his resignation after that shock loss against South Florida. However, Napier is saying that he is not planning to go away anytime soon. He noted to members of the media that he plans to continue being Florida’s primary play caller, even after a disappointing 1-1 start to the season for the Gators.
He admitted in the postgame press conference that they fell behind in the second half after several possessions where they missed some frames.
Florida has lagged on offense under Napier, as the school is currently ranked 46th in points per game, averaging just 18 points per game in 2025 and is 79th in yards per game at 391. They face No. 3 ranked LSU next on Saturday.
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