Paul Finebaum shreds Billy Napier, calls him a ‘complete failure’ as a coach
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Florida’s Billy Napier era has finally — mercifully, perhaps — come and gone. The Gators coughed and sputtered their way to a 22-23 (12-16 SEC) record with Napier. That mark obviously doesn’t meet Florida‘s high standards. Paul Finebaum knows this, so he’s wondering why it took the Gators so long to make a change.
Finebaum spoke on Florida’s dismissal of Napier during Monday’s episode of ESPN’s First Take. The longtime SEC Network personality didn’t hold back when addressing the situation, saying it should have happened sooner because of Napier’s inability to consistently win games.
“It was long overdue,” Finebaum said. “He was really a complete failure as a coach.”
Napier opened the 2024 season with a 4-5 mark, but rattled off 4 straight wins to close the season and build momentum for 2025. Unfortunately, he didn’t capitalize, dropping a game versus South Florida in Week 2 that sparked a 3-game losing streak.
Finebaum noted Napier was the “fourth straight Gator coach” to be fired since Urban Meyer’s shocking departure in 2010. With him out of the picture, Finebaum believes there’s only 1 person Florida’s fanbase wants as his replacement. He currently lives in Oxford, MS.
“The name that I keep hearing… every student on campus said, ‘can you get us Lane Kiffin?’ Lane Kiffin will be the No. 1 choice,” Finebaum said. “The question is, will he leave Ole Miss? He has always been interested in this job. He grew up a fan of Steve Spurrier; that’s why he wears a visor on the sideline.”
