Billy Napier’s long-term at Florida future was likely decided with the Week 3 loss to Texas A&M. When Napier will be removed as head coach, however, is unclear.

The Texas A&M loss dropped Napier’s overall record to 12-16 as Florida’s head coach. The latest defeat extended the Gators’ FBS losing streak to 7 games over the past 2 seasons.

Beyond the numbers, Napier has lost much of the fanbase as his Florida team shows no sign of progress. With the November gauntlet of back-to-back-to-back games against Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss looming, the pressure was on Napier for his team to start strong in the first half of the season. Through Week 3, the Gators have not only dropped their 2 FBS games, but have been completely dominated at home.

Saturday evening, speculation swirled that Napier would soon be removed as Florida’s head coach. ESPN’s Chris Low reported that Florida boosters had raised the money to cover the expensive buyout. There were also multiple reports that UF trustees were set to be meeting.

Sunday came and went without any Napier news. It was pointed out that there was no official UF Board of Trustees meeting, as there was no required online announcement. Gator beat reporters clarified that some trustees had gathered informally.

Napier held his Monday press conference and is set to coach Florida in Week 4 at Mississippi State. The lack of a change had many, including SDS columnist Connor O’Gara, pondering why Florida hasn’t fired Napier yet.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel offered some insight on Tuesday.

“There’s an aura of inevitability that Billy Napier will get fired at some point this season,” Thamel said during a Tuesday appearance on College Football Live. “From calling around and talking to different people, there does not appear to be the same urgency at Florida as maybe there is in the fanbase right now to fire Napier.”

In an article for ESPN.com, Thamel touched on issues that many Florida fans are aware of and regularly discuss. Together, they complicate a potential coaching change in September.

“Part of that is Napier has the locker room,” Thamel said on ESPN. “This isn’t a completely undisciplined team or a team that’s tuned him out.

“And the other part is, if you’re going to make a change in your coach this early in the season, you better have some sort of obvious upgrade or capable coach on the staff. There’s nobody on the Florida staff right now that would be an obvious target to be an interim coach. So look for the season to continue to play out. They obviously go to Mississippi State this weekend, and then there’s a bye after that.”

Napier’s status is also tied to his superiors. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin was hired in 2016. He has made two UF football coaching hires: Dan Mullen and Billy Napier. It is rare for an athletic director to be allowed to make a third football hire in 8 years.

Stricklin is also facing firing calls from the Florida fanbase. With 2 losing seasons already for Napier and a dreadful start to Year 3, many fans now consider Stricklin’s 2021 hire one of the biggest missteps in Florida history. Many fans feel he cannot be in charge of the next Florida football hiring.

The situation above Stricklin is also complicated. UF President Ben Sasse resigned unexpectedly in late July, citing the health of his wife. Since Sasse’s resignation, however, focus on his brief tenure has shifted to his lavish spending in the position, first uncovered through investigative reporting by UF student newspaper The Independent Florida Alligator.

Kent Fuchs was Sasse’s predecessor and is back at UF serving as the current interim president. Fuchs was president when Stricklin was hired and left most athletic matters to the AD. Thamel wrote Tuesday that Stricklin has a “good relationship” with Fuchs.

“For Florida, from the big picture, we don’t know exactly who’s going to end up making the decision on Napier,” Thamel said on College Football Live. “Athletic director Scott Stricklin would seemingly be doing that, but there has been no clarity on his status yet going forward.”

As Napier’s seat remains hot, the college football world awaits for news from Gainesville.