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Florida Fires Football Coach Napier Amid Disappointing 22-23 Record
19 Oct
Summary
- Billy Napier fired as Florida Gators head coach
- Napier had 3 years left on 7-year contract, owed $21M buyout
- Gators struggled to 22-23 record in Napier's 4 seasons
On October 19, 2025, the University of Florida announced the firing of head football coach Billy Napier, just seven games into his fourth season with the team. Napier, who was hired in 2022 to replace Dan Mullen, had three full years remaining on his seven-year contract, which included a $21 million buyout.
Napier's tenure at Florida was marked by a lack of progress, as the Gators struggled to a 22-23 record over his four seasons. The team entered the 2025 season ranked 15th in the AP Top 25 with hopes of a potential College Football Playoff run, but those aspirations quickly faded. A Week 2 home loss to USF and a two-score defeat at LSU the following week put Napier back on the hot seat.
Despite an upset victory over No. 9 Texas, the Gators continued to falter against a challenging schedule. Napier's teams were plagued by disarray and self-inflicted errors, including issues with player discipline and special teams. His final game as Florida's head coach was a 23-21 win over Mississippi State, in which he was repeatedly booed by the home crowd.
The Gators' decision to part ways with Napier comes as the program seeks to close the gap on SEC powerhouses Georgia and Alabama. Napier, a former Nick Saban assistant at Alabama, was hired to modernize the Gators and improve their recruiting, but his methodical approach never paid dividends on the field.
