You know things are beyond saving not even a win can delay the inevitable. Florida beat Mississippi State on Saturday, but it didn't stop the Gators from moving on from Billy Napier on Sunday. Of course, that win came by two points (23-21) against a team that's now lost 15 straight SEC games, so the timing -- and what comes after -- was more important. Florida is off this week, then faces Ole Miss and Tennessee in November. More losses were certainly coming.
Napier exits Gainesville with a 22-23 overall record, and a 12-16 mark in SEC play. He went 8-21 against teams with winning records, and 15 of those 21 losses came by double digits. This at a place that fired Dan Mullen for going 34-15. "The standards and expectations for Gators football are to win championships—not simply to compete. We exist to win, and will not settle for less," AD Scott Stricklin said Sunday.
What was the high point? We can debate the year, but the date was definitely Dec. 20. On Dec. 20, 2023, Florida signed DJ Lagway. The No. 3 overall player in the country, he was Florida's highest-ranked recruit since Martez Ivey in 2015 and the first No. 1 QB in modern recruiting history. On Dec. 20, 2024, Florida polished off a season-ending 4-game winning streak by hammering Tulane 33-8 in the Gasparilla Bowl. There were problems before -- hence, Florida ended up in the Gasparilla Bowl -- but Lagway threw for 305 yards, ending his true freshman season 6-1 as a starter. The future was so bright Gators fans had to wear shades.
What was the low point? South Florida 18, No. 13 Florida 16. In retrospect, not an upset. That's an indictment in and of itself, but Florida can't lose, at home, to South Florida. Ever. The Gators had a near 84% chance to win after USF missed a 58-yard field goal with under three minutes to play and Florida leading by one, but the Gators went three-and-out, throwing incomplete twice, to allow the Bulls back in the game. Consecutive 15-yard penalties and then a missed tackle on a 29-yard catch-and-run took the ball from the USF 11 to the Florida 32, and the Napier era was over right then and there. The balloon was punctured by that point.
What did Napier get right? He built the roster to the point where Florida began the year in the AP top-15 despite an 8-5 finish to 2024. It's the ultimate backhanded compliment at the roster-building operation when people make jokes about the portal vultures descending on campus once a move is made. Also, I always thought "buzzed ahead atop a salt-and-pepper beard" was a good look for him.
What did Napier get wrong? Napier missed on both his initial coordinator hires. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong was dismissed after two seasons, and Napier's refusal to fire himself as offensive coordinator forced the school to dismiss Napier entirely.
What did Florida get right? Attracting the type of talent that dressed up in blue and orange doesn't happen without significant investment from the university side. The team photos with 300 staffers became target for jokes, but no one can accuse Florida of not giving Napier what he needed to succeed.
What did Florida get wrong? It's always a touchy subject to attempt to force the CEO of the operation into a direction he doesn't feel is best, but Lagway has a career 21-18 TD-to-INT ratio, and Florida currently ranks 82nd in yards per play. There's too much talent on campus for that to happen.
Where does Napier go from here? At 46, Napier is not close to done. “I love the game of football,” Napier said after Saturday night's win. “I love the game.” Napier was admired and respected within the building, and he'll hit his next job running.
Where does Florida go from here? Jon Sumrall is going to be the default answer for most SEC openings until he takes one of them, but not Florida. After "Sun Belt Billy," there's no chance Florida hires another G5 coach -- for better or worse. The choice is obvious, though. Florida has been trying to recreate the Steve Spurrier for nearly 25 years now, and there's no one closer to a modern day Spurrier than Lane Kiffin. Vicious trolls who know how to develop quarterbacks and score points, Spurrier and Kiffin are also fans of the visor. Ole Miss is probably trying to lock Kiffin in as we speak, but if you're Florida, you've got to see if Lane feels like he's hit his head on the ceiling in Oxford.