Must Win Situation for Napier, Gators Against Mississippi State

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As Saturday draws near for the Florida Gators (1-2) to enter SEC play, outside noise of Coach Billy Napier’s job security gets louder.

As each week passes every game for the Gators is the most important one of Napier’s tenure. It all started off with a bang in 2022 behind the arm and legs of quarterback Anthony Richardson.

A monumental home 29-26 victory over No. 13 Utah stirred the masses of Gators fans with positivity. It didn’t last long as Florida came out flat at home with a 26-16 to Kentucky. The program never recovered and currently sits 12-17 overall the past two seasons and has lost seven of its last eight games dating back to last season.

Wheels for a change are in motion, according to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello and Richard Johnson. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin is reportedly entrusted to make a call when that time comes.

Behind the scenes, the gears are already in motion for a potential change, and there is more alignment among administrators than message board rumors tend to say. Stricklin, who is facing criticism of his own after decisions to hire Dan Mullen and then Napier, has been informed the decision whether to fire Napier is his to make. In that scenario, Stricklin will also be tasked with searching for a new coach, sources familiar with the discussions at Florida told CBS Sports this week. 

No coaching search is as simple as a single leader seeking out candidates, and though Florida has kept its board of trustees, president and athletics department in philosophical alignment, there are rogues working in the shadows.

-Brandon Marcello and Richard Johnson, CBS Sports

Napier was asked about his job status this week during a press conference in preparation for the Gators’ game Mississippi State.

“We can’t live in the shoulda-coulda-woulda, if-then, all that,” Napier said. “I think ultimately, we’ve got an obligation to the players and our leadership at the university to do our best to play well this week. It’s all we can control. Anything else is a waste of time. Look, I think it’s that way regardless. Been doing this for a long time. The ability to hit the reset button, sometimes you’re trying to ignore the hype or the praise and sometimes, you fall flat on your face. 

“So your approach with the players, the right mix of accountability and ownership, I think it’s critical that we don’t point fingers and that we accept some responsibility and point out where there needs to be accountability. I think that’s the key, especially with young people in the world that they live in currently.”

Florida has struggled on both sides of the ball in its two games against power conference teams Miami and Texas A&M. The Gators are averaging 398 yards per game due to its 632 yard explosion against FCS Samford. Against Power Four competition, Napier’s team is generating a lowly 281 yards of offense and only 18 points per game.

The Gators have hardly been relevant over the past couple of seasons since firing Dan Mullen after a down 2021 campaign. Mullen went 34-15 in Gainesville and took Florida to three consecutive New Year’s Six bowl appearances, winning two.