Billy Napier: Fans call for Florida head coach to be fired after trailing Texas A&M at halftime
Billy Napier is feeling the heat – again – with Florida trailing Texas A&M 20-0 at halftime in Gainvesville.
This isn’t really anything new for Napier, to be honest. The Gators have struggled under his watch, and those struggles have been magnified when comparing Napier’s tenure to that of his predecessor, Dan Mullen. There were calls for his ouster throughout the 2023 season, but administration ultimately gave him another year to turn things around.
Florida entered this one 1-1: it got manhandled by Miami to open the season before flying past Samford as expected. But it hasn’t been able to put the pieces together, with Saturday’s lightning-delayed game against the Aggies a prime example.
Napier has a high buyout. That said, if things don’t turn around for the Gators, it might be a buyout worth paying to once again reboot the program under a new head coach.
Here’s some of the halftime reaction with Napier and the Gators struggling against the Aggies at the Swamp:
It’s year 3.
Billy Napier is losing in the Swamp to a coach in his FIRST SEASON with a BACKUP QB. HE HAS HAD TWO LOSING SEASONS.
It does NOT take an eternity to turn around a program. You were sold LIES by propaganda artists.
FIRE HIM NOW.
— T (@tdgator9) September 14, 2024
The haters said Napier couldn’t do it. And they were correct. Honestly great call from the haters
— Dan Thompson (@DKThompson) September 14, 2024
https://twitter.com/gatorsszn/status/1835076533213384773?s=46
There is NO debate.
Billy Napier is by far the worst coach in the history of Florida Football.
— T (@tdgator9) September 14, 2024
Billy Napier is ruining my enjoyment of Mike Norvell’s incompetence at FSU…
— Beau “Squidbilly” Morgan (@squidbilly929) September 14, 2024
Billy Napier should apologize to the Florida Gators players at halftime, he should thank them for their loyalty, and he should say his goodbyes.
This man is done and he deserves to be done. Embarrassing excuse of a coach.
— Brandon Olsen (@WNS_Brandon) September 14, 2024
Put Napier’s entire staff/army on Interpol’s most wanted list for crimes against humanity.
This is the worst head football coach UF has ever had. This is the worst assistant coaching staff and support staff UF has ever had.
— Joe (@UFLORIDAJOE) September 14, 2024
Today is a great day to fire Scott Stricklin and Billy Napier.
— Busch Light Tyce Forever (@BrostaDelMar) September 14, 2024
I was fooled by Napier, too. I’ll admit it. I really thought he could slow-cook this thing and have us humming like a machine in year three.
Instead he’s reduced us to the biggest laughingstock in the SEC.
— InAllKindsOfWeather.com (@AllKindsWeather) September 14, 2024
Officially out on Billy Napier
Y’all were right
My bad
— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) September 14, 2024
Napier is not a big-time
college football coach. He just isn’t. He seems like a nice guy but he doesn’t have what it takes, both schematically and from a psychological standpoint. He’s a group of 5 type coach.— Derek (@_DTyson) September 14, 2024
Billy Napier is a disgrace to the University of Florida
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 14, 2024
Sadly, today is probably not rock bottom. Based on what we see on the field, name one additional win on the schedule.
Not good.
FSU :)
“Subpathetic” is an oxymoron meaning that an event does not even reach the threshold to be referred to as “pathetic”, aka, “hapless”. Put differently, if the 2nd Half proceeds in the same manner, the Gators will have to look up just to see down.
Good post, and I learned a new word. Reminds me a line from an old blues song: I’ve been down so gosh darn long, it looks like up to me.
I would happily lose every game left on the schedule and lose DJ in exchange for Napier and Strickland being fired today.
You shut your mouth lol. Lagway needs to stay. The next coach needs to make him priority #1 the second he accepts the job.
After he finds and trains some big uglies to block for him.
Lagway is very likely gone, unless the Gators’ next HC is named in October and is very persuasive. It’s a matter of personal safety for the young QB.
Here we are
I told ya’ll a long time ago and I never waivered in my assessment of Napier
I’ve said all along good man. Good husband. Good father but he is NOT an SEC caliber head coach
He’s over his head and has been over his head since day one.
Now we’re stuck
Interim President
A pile of apes dung for an athletic director
A coach that’s gonna cost 26 million to get rid of all because of the buddy system.
2 offensive line coaches and we can’t block
2 defensive coordinators and we can’t stop the run
No offensive coordinator
We are worse than Vanderbilt
Unfortunately, yes.
Vandy’s ceiling is miles below UF.
We are below sea level now, uncharted territory.
You turned out to be right about Napier gaga. Don’t pat yourself on the back too hard.
Yet, I still believe UF did the right thing giving him 3 years to set up an Alabama style front office, restore the talent level and prove the concept. Based on talent on hand, UF should be ranked just outside the top 10.
Alas, Napier can’t develop talent, or hire assistants to coach it up. So, much like at USCw before Riley finally hired a DC, it makes little difference how much talent he brings in.
The next HC, whoever he turns out to be, will get 3 years as well. I pray we don’t get to see UF prove me right.
It doesn’t matter who UF plays under Napier his team makes them look like National champions. I believe A@M had less yards against McNeese State then they did against UF in a half. Never have I seen an OL this bad. The bridges kik they ejected for targeting which was BS. He should play more. I feel your pain gator fan’s and It looks like in ts time for another rebuild.hopefully they will get it right this time
I think the fan base really wanted Napier to work out because he is such a nice guy. His grassroots approach was appealing. But he simply can’t put anything together. He hasn’t adjusted to SEC play at all. His staff can’t get their units ready to play. His in game calls and decision making struggles at the best of times.
What I don’t want is for UF to, once again, try to find yet another “diamond in the rough” hire. The experiment has had no sustainable success and a slew of buyouts. Zook, Muschamp, Mac, and now Napier. Mullen was an established coach, though the results were largely the same. Go for the home run hire this time.
The targeting call might be the worst call ever.
UF only have themselves to blame. They took a guy from the mid-majors who was up and coming but wasn’t there yet. This job is clearly too big for him. The Vols did the same thing with Dooley. It hurts the program and works to sully young coaches. This is what happens when you look for “names” instead of taking an experienced coordinator from another big time school.
Florida isn’t a coordinator hiring school. They should be taking coaches from other major programs.
This^^
Worst hire for a major football program in history, not just at UF, but ever.
I understand that your pain is now, but nothing compares to the illiterate Alabama idiot aka Jeremy Pruitt.
Ask Auburn fans on this site what they think of Brian Harsin.
Correct marine! But, the lure of unearthing the next young phenom HC is too strong for Jeromy Foley. He surely talked Stricklin to into hiring Napier after Mullen flamed out the way he predicted Mullen would.
The problem is UF isn’t currently a program that can lure big name coaches from their current power 4 gigs. Name 1 big name coach they could have had when they hired Napier? What about the time before that? And before that??
This is just bad for the Gators. Some LSU fans wanted us to hire Napier. Kelly hasn’t been great, but he’s definitely better than Napier. Losing Lagway would be painful. I hope the Gators can keep him. The fans need some hope. Who becomes target #1. Kiffin?
My guess is lane is the big name hire but they will likely settle for fisch
You know what you get with Kiffin. With the resources in Fla that in my opinion is the best hire.
You said it dawgtime.. kiffen is the target
Well the end has come . Rip Billy Napier as no way you can survive this. The firing might happen tonight as it should . I wanted it to work as did all true gator fans ( minus gaga) but it had become very obvious that this has to end . I would think they will offer Billy to stay on till the end of season ( like zook did) as no one on the staff looks qualified to be the interim coach. He will finish the season out and be 26 million richer. Time to end the worst tenure of and head coach in our history .
I’d say Calloway would be better offense wise at least. Feels weird to keep him lame duck
Get rid of them all. No reason to keep the stench of this staff around. Clear out the building and start over
Agree but they need someone to play out the string. Lane isn’t coming next week
You forgot to mention the much needed Exorcism after we clean house!
We need to wait until next week after he loses to Mississippi State. Then fire him but let him finish out the season like we did with Zook after he lost to Mississippi State. Maybe (I know this sounds crazy) it will give us some karma with the next hire and we will go back to playing for championships again like after firing Zook.
Bad news for Ole Miss fans. Now they have to survive just how hard UF will go after Kiffin. He looks like the perfect coach for the Gators. And will Billy off to such a rough start; guessing he’ll be gone during the week off before UGA – with the rumors starting.
I really hope this is true. I think Lane could wins nattys at UF.
Hopefully the dysfunctional admin doesn’t screw it up
He will be gone tonight man
Will you bring back the gatorbait chant like y’all did back then with Zook?
As much as I hate Florida from a fan standpoint, I find it hard to take too much satisfaction from all their troubles. Reminds me too much of our recent coaching struggles.
Well fuzzy when your rivals now feel bad for you that says it all !
The big problem is that UF has an interim president and that usually precludes major changes in the big 3 sports. Stricklin hired/ fired Mullen and if he fire Napier..he gets to hire his 3rd football coach. I am in favor of cutting both Strickland and Napier now. Appoint an interim coach..and begin AD and football coach search…now!
Very similar situation to Tennessee in the 2000-2015 ish period. I lost count of how many presidents and chancellors were hired/fired. I’m really hoping that no one (UF included) comes after our AD.
Everyone thinks Kiffin would automatically come here. But in this new era, the powerhouses of the past no longer carry the same cache. 12 teams get in now. Players can move around at will. Who has the most money to offer? And we have not been relevant (really) in 15 years.
Yes there is more talent in Florida, but state lines don’t mean nearly as much any longer. No need for Lane to move, he’s got it made where he is.
Beamer Ball