Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is staying despite being on the hot seat. Napier is 15-18 through three seasons with the Gators including 0-3 versus the Georgia Bulldogs.
Florida has battled injuries all season, but is probably not going to make a bowl game after a 4-4 start to the season. Napier’s return would give Florida continuity heading into 2025, but does it simply prolong the inevitable? Napier will have a bunch of pressure again next season.
Florida released a statement saying that Napier will continue as head coach, but did not add any dates, so there is not a 100% chance he will return in 2025.
“We’re led to believe Napier will be back as coach next season, but, within Stricklin’s five-paragraph word salad, he makes no mention of 2025 or next season,” said Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY. “This registers as a tepid endorsement from an athletics director under fire for a coach who will remain on the scalding-hot seat. Napier will stay there until the day he’s fired or wins enough to turn down the heat. And winning remains a problem for Napier.”
Napier could be the first coach to be saved due to the Name, Image and Likeness era. With donors getting worn about from constant requests for NIL money, schools may be less willing to pay the lofty buyouts owed to head coaches.
Schools know they have to raise more money to pay for players now, so maybe it is better spent on players and not a head coach’s buyout. In Napier’s case, Florida would have to pay him $26.7 million.
More fans, media weighed in via social media
“I want to thank Kirby Smart and Georgia for giving Florida just enough hope to retain Billy Napier. The rest of the SEC is grateful for you service,” said one fan via social media.
“I don’t hate this at all,” said Yahoo Sports analyst Caroline Fenton via social media. “That was a beat up team that had Georgia on the ropes into the 4th. But Napier got hired to win, not almost win. I agree that now isn’t the time to fire him, but if he doesn’t start winning soon then that time will come.”
Florida was tied 20-20 with Georgia in the fourth quarter, but that should not be a moral victory for the Gators.
“Do you know how hard it is to be that bad in Gainesville? One of the worst eras in Gator football history,” said CBS Sports analyst Jake Winderman. Georgia is in its golden era and has won seven of the last eight games against Florida while the Gators are happy with likely missing out on bowl games in consecutive seasons.