Amid circulating rumors about his job status, Florida head coach Billy Napier spoke at his scheduled media availability Wednesday.
USA Today’s Matt Hayes reported Wednesday morning that athletic director Scott Stricklin met with UF boosters Tuesday and Stricklin was told boosters planned on cutting financial support unless the football program took a “new direction.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future as Florida’s head coach, Napier continued to express confidence.
“There’s a time and a place for thinking big picture like that,” he said. “This is the time of the year where you got to turn the page and focus on what’s important now.”
Napier expressed the sentiment of taking ownership, saying “you have to be a man” and take ownership in times of difficulty. The Gators have started the season 2-4, its worst mark through six games since 1986.
Napier holds a 21-23 record midway through his fourth season with Florida. His .477 winning percentage is the lowest for a UF coach through at least 30 games since Raymond Wolf, who had a .359 winning percentage and a 13-24-2 record from 1946-49.
Despite mixed results over Napier’s first three seasons at the helm, Florida started the 2025 season ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll and was projected to finish sixth in the Southeastern Conference in the preseason SEC football coaches poll.
After defeating Long Island 55-0 Aug. 30, the Gators moved up to No. 13 in the AP Poll, its highest ranking since 2022.
However, UF would lose its next three games to South Florida, LSU and Miami. Against USF, the Gators lost 18-16, dropping its first home contest to an in-state opponent besides Miami or Florida State since 1938.
Florida rebounded with a 29-21 win over then-No. 9 Texas Oct. 4 before falling to Texas A&M 34-17 Oct. 11.
“Anytime you have a tough performance, there’s always going to be a little bit of noise,” Napier said. “When you don’t play well, there’s going to be criticism.”
The last time UF fired a coach at the near-midway point of the season was in 2017, when it dismissed Jim McElwain after a 3-4 start. It was labeled a “mutual decision” between the two sides.
Napier’s predecessor, Dan Mullen, was fired right before the Gators' season finale against Florida State in 2021. He had a 5-6 record at the time of his dismissal.
According to Napier’s contract, his buyout is worth approximately $21 million. His buyout total is based on 85% of the annual compensation of his contract, which rises by $100,000 each year during his deal.
Napier’s contract is set to expire Jan. 31, 2029. If he were to be bought out, 50% of his buyout must be paid within 30 days of his firing. The remaining 50% would be paid in four separate installments worth 12.5% of his buyout, and would be due July 15 each year until it is paid out.
“It’s tough when you lose a bunch of close games,” Napier said. “The challenging part, for myself, is watching the players go through that, knowing how hard they've worked.”
Florida will resume play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-2, 0-2 SEC) at 4:15 p.m. Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
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).
