Billy Napier was dismissed as Florida head coach Sunday after a 22-23 record in 45 games with the Gators. But unlike many other coaches, Napier went out with a win in his final game, as the Gators defeated Mississippi State 23-21 Saturday.
Despite the victory, athletic director Scott Stricklin relieved Napier of his duties Sunday afternoon.
“The standards and expectations for Gators football are to win championships — not simply to compete,” Stricklin wrote in an official statement. “We exist to win, and will not settle for less. UF has never been more invested in the success of this football program – elite facilities, robust NIL opportunities and comprehensive support for our student athletes and staff – than we are today.”
While it is rare that a head coach is fired following a win, it is not unprecedented.
The most notable coach who went out with a win was former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who was dismissed on Nov. 12, 2023. The Aggies defeated Mississippi State 51-10 on Nov. 11, 2023, bringing Fisher’s team to 6-4 on the season and gave him a 45-25 record during his tenure.
However, the win did not change Fisher’s fortunes, as he was bought out of his contract for a record $76.8 million.
"After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President [Mark] Welsh and then Chancellor [John] Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement. "We appreciate Coach Fisher's time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors."
On the same day, Nov. 12, 2023, Boise State dismissed then-head coach Andy Avalos, one day after his Broncos beat New Mexico 42-14.
Avalos coached at his alma mater for three seasons, totaling a 22-14 record. At the time of his firing, Boise State was 5-5. The Broncos' 19-year streak of being ranked ended during his first season in 2021.
"I am grateful for the passion, effort and dedication Andy has given to our community and his alma mater while serving as our head coach," athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said in a statement. "Andy will always be a Bronco and we wish him and his family all the best in their next steps."
Other than Napier, the most recent example occurred when Temple relieved then-head coach Stan Drayton on Nov. 18, 2024, one day after the Owls beat Florida Atlantic 18-15 in overtime.
Temple went 9-25 under Drayton, winning only three games in each of his seasons as head coach.
"He represented the university with a tremendous amount of integrity and class,” athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a statement.
Previously, former Miami head coach Larry Coker was fired after a 17-14 win over then-No. 18 Boston College on Nov. 23, 2006.
Coker, who had a 59-15 record during his tenure at Miami, led his Hurricanes to a 6-6 record in his final year as coach before he was bought out. He had three years remaining on his contract.
The Florida Gators will resume play against No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 1.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his sixth semester at The Alligator and now serves as The Alligator's Football Reporter and is a junior sports journalism student. He previously served as The Alligator's Sports Editor, and served as reporter for women's tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. He wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and also loves niche professional athletes (shoutout Tomas Fleischmann).
