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Billy Napier explains why Florida job was the right opportunity for him
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Billy Napier has been connected to a number of open Power 5 jobs over the years, but he finally made the leap this offseason, leaving Louisiana for Florida.
He’ll take over a Gators program that imploded under former coach Dan Mullen this season, finishing the regular season 6-6. The Gators will play UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.
On “The Jim Rome Show” on Tuesday, Napier explained why he felt the Florida job was the right opportunity for him:
“I think it was a combination of feeling like we had finished the job at Louisiana,” he said. “They had paid us to do a job — 1, to win the outright conference championship there. We wanted to become one of the elite Group of 5 teams and programs in the country. And then, certainly, the Florida job. The administration there, the belief and confidence in what we had done, their willingness to invest in our vision, to give us the resources to go put together the infrastructure. I’m certainly excited about the brand new support facility we’ll move into in June.
“Just a lot of things aligning. I couldn’t help but feel like it was the right one. It was so seamless, having been through that a couple of times. Right place at the right time. So much of this profession is about timing. I’m really excited. I don’t think the University of Florida has been positioned for success this much in a long time. It’s going to be a great challenge, and it’s one that we’re excited about.”
Can Napier turn things around in Gainesville? He’ll have his work cut out for him in 2022 and beyond.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
