Florida hires Louisiana's Billy Napier as new Head Football Coach (11/28/2021) ***EDIT: and fired on 10/19/2025***

[Bazza]

Bazza, my condolenses on your schedule. Your schedule is a MONSTER in 2024. I hope Napier can at least help you get to 8 wins or it might be over for him! How many wins do you guys see with this schedule?

View attachment 39303.

Well if they'd let ME call the plays.......I can see anywhere from 8 to 10 wins......EASILY!

 

[GrayTide]

They could be 7-0 headed into the Cocktail Party, after that it gets a little dicey.

 

[DawgAlum2054]

i don’t think they beat UCF

 

[Bamabuzzard]

It's been bad for Napier. Heck, it has been bad since Urban left, and was getting bad while he was there. I do not follow the gators so I have no idea what the problem is, I just don't see how recruiting can be the core issue.

 

[Cruloc]

Napier better be 2-0 headed into that Texas A&M game. If they lose to Miami, the wheels may start coming off. They should beat Samford easily. Should beat MSU.

Samford W
Miss. State W

Everything else is a loss or a toss-up.

If Florida is 2-2 going into that UCF game and then they lose.....Napier won't make it to Knoxville for the next game.

 

[Its On A Slab]

Napier seems to be a decent coach at the Group of Five level. But over his head in the big boy conference.

 

[The Ols]

Billy is a super nice guy and a very good recruiter.

I sincerely wish things will work out for him at Florida.

But......he lacks the "killer instinct" during the game. The "go for the juggler" attitude. Makes DUMB play calls at CRUCIAL times during the game.

I really think if he goes the way that Drink did at Mizzou......and gets a quality OC......a lot of that stuff is resolved.

As far as next year's tough schedule, I couldn't be happier. If we are going in the right direction - after 2 years - we should be able to win the lion's share of those games. If not then let the chips fall where they may. I don't care anymore.

Lastly.....the Florida AD Scott Stricklin should also be included as responsible for how things turn out here.

Season's Greetings!

Why you gotta bring me into your circus? 🤣

 

[crimsonaudio]

Napier seems to be a decent coach at the Group of Five level. But over his head in the big boy conference.

Precisely why I posted this when he was hired:


Some G5 coaches can make the jump and succeed at the P5 level, but some cannot. There aren't any "sure things"...

 

[81usaf92]

Precisely why I posted this when he was hired:
View attachment 39378

Some G5 coaches can make the jump and succeed at the P5 level, but some cannot. There aren't any "sure things"...

It’s just difficult going from a prime G5 job with modest expectations to a big P5 job with national championship expectations. Florida has fell for a Saban disciple from a G5 team twice and it really makes you wonder what they were expecting to get.

Florida desperately needs someone that goes with their culture and has experience building at the P5 level.

 

[CrimsonCleanse]

I thought Napier would do better there. They are becoming Tennessee circa 2008-2020

 

[AlexanderFan]

Yes, and supposedly came very close to signing him.

I think Bama came in second, but Florida was Usain Bolt and everyone else was a bunch of second grade kids.

I think both parents graduated from Florida, and there wasn’t really a chance he would go anywhere else

 

[Its On A Slab]

Precisely why I posted this when he was hired:
View attachment 39378

Some G5 coaches can make the jump and succeed at the P5 level, but some cannot. There aren't any "sure things"...

Gus Malzahn on line 3.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Well if they'd let ME call the plays.......I can see anywhere from 8 to 10 wins......EASILY!

They'd certainly do better with you calling the plays! (No blue font)

 

[jthomas666]

It's been bad for Napier. Heck, it has been bad since Urban left, and was getting bad while he was there. I do not follow the gators so I have no idea what the problem is, I just don't see how recruiting can be the core issue.

No one really appreciated the extent to which Urbs ran the program into the ground before he left. A couple of hires just didn't work and in the meantime, multiple other Florida programs started getting better.

 

[DawgAlum2054]

No one really appreciated the extent to which Urbs ran the program into the ground before he left. A couple of hires just didn't work and in the meantime, multiple other Florida programs started getting better.

the AD at Florida is a lot to blame as well

Florida really has not accomplished anything in the last 15 years now though. Georgia, FSU, and LSU (their 3 biggest rivals) have all won national titles since floridas last national title.

 

[twofbyc]

the AD at Florida is a lot to blame as well

Florida really has not accomplished anything in the last 15 years now though. Georgia, FSU, and LSU (their 3 biggest rivals) have all won national titles since floridas last national title.

Spot on - and I said during the season (last half), Napier has a warm behind that just got warmer after yesterday. Getting Lagway might have bought him a few more games but his recruiting class still got hammered late. Others have said what a “good guy” he is; that persona will get him trampled in recruiting (just did).
First 7 games in ‘24, he may not be allowed one loss; more than that, he’s gone at years end because he may not win any of the final five. I do not for a second believe the fans/alumnae will stand for another 6-6 season, especially after the letdown of this recruiting class.

 

[B1GTide]

No one really appreciated the extent to which Urbs ran the program into the ground before he left. A couple of hires just didn't work and in the meantime, multiple other Florida programs started getting better.

Watch the Netflix series on his time at Florida. It really explains their fall. It avoids the hard issues, but you can see how he destroyed them.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

Precisely why I posted this when he was hired:
View attachment 39378

Some G5 coaches can make the jump and succeed at the P5 level, but some cannot. There aren't any "sure things"...

I think Florida can be a great Job. I am Not sure it should be anyone's first power 5 coaching job. I say that Alabama as well. There are no sure things but from a competitive standpoint. You are going up against Florida State, Miami, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, And Tennessee in recruiting every year. You need to have some experience or be ready for such a competitive environment.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

I will say because I grew up in the 90's and 00's. It's always going to be weird to me to see Florida struggle. Historically, they haven't had much sustained success outside of those two decades.

 

[TraskiTideFan]

Its bad juju at Florida right now. Something in the water or a curse. Every Coach since Urban in their post game interviews at some point always seem like they have been dosed or drinking during the game. Tales of the Enigma!