When the Florida Gators hired Billy Napier after the 2021 season, it marked a new day for the program, which hoped it had found the right coach after firing Dan Mullen despite a 34-15 record in four seasons at the school.
There was no reason to doubt that Napier could be successful, as he had stops as a coordinator and assistant under Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban before taking the Louisiana Bulldogs job in 2017 and leading the team to a 40-12 record and four bowl games in his four seasons with the school.
Unfortunately for Florida and Napier, the relationship is no longer working. Napier is 12-16 in his 28 games with the Gators and 6-11 in SEC play.
Florida hit a new low on Saturday. They looked lifeless in their 33-20 home loss to the Texas A&M Aggies to open SEC play. The loss dropped the team to 1-2 on the season, and they also took a season-opening home drubbing at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes.
Napier is now 3-12 in his last 15 games against power conference opponents, and Saturday marked his sixth loss at Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. This gives the coach one more home loss than Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer had in their tenures at the school.
Napier was booed during a halftime PSA on the scoreboard during the game and a TV interview leading into the half.
“I have no excuse. I have no negative comment about that. Ultimately, [when] we play a certain way in this arena, you’re going to get criticized. This is one of those places where there’s history and tradition and expectations,” Napier said via ESPN.
As if the writing isn’t already on the wall for Napier, ESPN’s Chris Low reported Sunday that Florida’s boosters have started gathering the money to pay the coach’s $28 million buyout.
If Florida fires Napier, his 28-game tenure would be the shortest by a Florida head coach in 100 years.
The Gators return to action next Saturday when they head to Starkville for an SEC showdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
[ESPN]
