Billy Napier will remain the head coach at Florida, Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Thursday morning.
Napier’s future has been questioned since he went 11-14 in his first two seasons and watched an elite recruiting class crumble in the final weeks before signing day. Speculation intensified after a 1-2 start in his third year, including double-digit home defeats by in-state rival Miami and Texas A&M. Last week, Napier became the first Florida coach since World War II to suffer three consecutive double-digit losses to Georgia.
A message from Scott Stricklin pic.twitter.com/NpLD6ktrHj
— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) November 7, 2024
But Napier has shown progress, despite a 4-4 record this season that puts Florida’s bowl eligibility in doubt. The Gators have lopsided wins over Mississippi State, UCF and Kentucky. They lost at No. 7 Tennessee in overtime, and despite eventually losing by 14 points, they were competitive against national championship contender Georgia last week.
Napier’s in-season progress will be harder to gauge because of injuries. Starting quarterback Graham Mertz tore his ACL at Tennessee, depriving the Gators of one of the nation’s most experienced passers. Mertz’s backup, five-star freshman DJ Lagway, was carted off the field Saturday with a leg injury. He’s listed as questionable to play this week at No. 5 Texas.
The rest of the Gators’ schedule is daunting, too, with a trip to No. 15 LSU, a home game against No. 16 Ole Miss and the season finale at rival Florida State. Napier must win two to avoid becoming the first Florida coach since Josh Cody (1936-38) to suffer three consecutive losing seasons.
Napier is in the third year of a seven-year contract he landed at the end of the 2021 season after a successful run at Louisiana Lafayette. His buyout is 85 percent of what’s left on the deal. That means Florida would have been on the hook for about $26 million — believed to be the second-largest buyout in college football history — if they fired Napier without cause this year. By the end of the 2025 season, it’s closer to $19 million.
This story will be updated.
(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
