The Florida Gators should part ways with Billy Napier immediately because his potential falls short of the program’s national championship expectations. Although the Gators rebounded with a 45-7 win over FCS opponent Samford, their season-opening 41-17 loss to Miami exposed serious concerns. The highly anticipated game against Miami was expected to mark a turning point for Napier, but the Gators managed only 261 total yards and looked uncompetitive.
Despite last weekend’s win, doubts remain about Napier’s future in his third year as head coach. Some believe a 6-6 record will secure his job, but after a 12-15 record in his first two seasons, this year feels like a make-or-break moment. For many, Napier’s teams need to be competitive, even in losses, but the Gators appeared far from that against Miami. In contrast, Miami, also under a third-year coach, seems poised to contend for the ACC title.
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Gators won 45-7. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4106,h_2309,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/356/01j7bgqy7k05w9b073h8.jpg)
After seeing over two years of underwhelming results, it seems unlikely Napier will lead Florida to more than a 7-5 or 8-4 season, which is far below the championship-level aspirations of Gators fans. The program hasn’t been truly relevant since Urban Meyer won national titles in 2006 and 2008, and Napier doesn’t appear capable of reaching those heights.
Fans never want their team to lose, but if four or five-loss seasons are the best Napier can offer, the Gators should cut ties now to avoid delaying the inevitable.
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