Third-year Florida coach Billy Napier received a key vote of confidence Thursday from athletic director Scott Stricklin. The endorsement comes as the Gators continue navigating a historically difficult 2024 schedule with Napier’s record at just 15-18 (8-13 SEC) entering Saturday’s game at No. 5 Texas.
Florida is 4-4 (2-3 in SEC) this season and faces an uphill battle to reach a bowl game; the Gators still must play the Longhorns, No. 14 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss before closing at struggling rival Florida State.
“As we’ve seen these past several weeks, the young men on this team represent what it means to be a Gator. Their resolve, effort and execution are evident in their performance and growth each week – building a foundation that promises greater success next season and beyond,” Stricklin said in a statement. “UF’s commitment to excellence and a championship-caliber program is unwavering. In these times of change across college athletics, we are dedicated to a disciplined, stable approach that is focused on long-term, sustained success for Gator athletes, recruits and fans.
“I am confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. We will work alongside him to support any changes needed to elevate Gator football. As college athletics evolves, UF is committed to embracing innovation and strategy, ensuring the Gators thrive in today’s competitive landscape.”
The vote of confidence in Napier comes at a time of uncertainty within the university administration. Florida is led by an interim president, and Stricklin has already made two football coaching hires.
The Gators have demonstrated signs of progress at times in 2024 since an ugly 1-2 start that included double-digit home losses against Miami and Texas A&M. They picked up double-digit victories against Mississippi State, UCF and Kentucky, and they played top-10 foes Tennessee and Georgia close in recent weeks.
Florida had the No. 2 Bulldogs on their heels until late in the fourth quarter even while playing with walk-on quarterback Aidan Warner, who was forced into action after an injury to freshman phenom DJ Lagway. The loss of Lagway for the second half of the Georgia game was just the latest injury blow for the Gators, who have 10 players listed as out for the Texas game in Wednesday’s availability report.
Another six Florida players, including Lagway, are listed as questionable, including key offensive weapons like receiver Elijhah Badger and running back Montrell Johnson Jr. Original starting quarterback Graham Mertz was lost for the season due to an ACL injury last month.
While signs of on-field improvement amid the rash of injuries and difficult schedule appear to have bought Napier some grace, there are still worrisome signs for the program. Namely, the Gators’ 2025 recruiting class features just 11 commitments and ranks No. 51 nationally, per 247Sports, which is 15th in the SEC ahead of only Vanderbilt.
But if Lagway is in the fold and able to build on the flashes of promise he’s shown this season, there could be a path forward for the Gators if they land a strong transfer haul for their 2025 roster.
A former wide receivers coach under Nick Saban at Alabama, Napier cut his teeth as the coach at Louisiana from 2018 to 2021, posting a 22-1 mark with consecutive Sun Belt titles over his final two seasons.
That Group of Five success paired with his SEC experience at Alabama made Napier an obvious candidate for a power-conference opening. Napier’s tenure began with promise as Florida started 2-0 in 2022 and rose to No. 11 in the AP Top 25 before pushing No. 1 Alabama to the brink in a 31-29 loss.
The Gators fell off from there, however, finishing 6-7 in 2022 with a Las Vegas Bowl loss. Napier’s seat began to warm during a 5-7 campaign in 2023. If the Gators are unable to win two of their final four games this year, it would mark the first time since 1985 and 1986 that the program has failed to reach a bowl game in consecutive seasons.
Florida won national championships in 1996 under Steve Spurrier and in 2006 and 2008 under Urban Meyer to establish the program among the sport’s ruling class. But the Gators have been inconsistent for the past 15 years, cycling through Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain, Dan Mullen since Meyer’s 2010 resignation before Napier’s arrival.
No coach since Meyer has lasted more than four seasons, and the program’s disjointed start with NIL fundraising raised questions over institutional alignment. For now, though, it appears Napier is on track to get a fourth season.