Florida coach Billy Napier once shared the biggests takeaways from his experience uder Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban

The Florida Gators beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 45-28 on Saturday to give their embattled coach Billy Napier breathing room after a rough start to the 2024 season. Napier has not always been under such criticism and was once seen as one of the brightest upcoming coaching talents in college football.

Napier worked under some of the most influential coaches in college football during his formative years. Between 2006 and 2010, he was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator under outspoken Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney.

Between 2013 and 2016, Billy Napier also worked under now-retired Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban as an offensive analyst and wide receivers coach, winning two national championships.

During a 2022 episode of ESPN's "College Football" show, the Gators coach revealed the lessons he learned while working under Swinney and Saban.

“I would say that a lot of the things that you learn from those guys stand the test of time," Napier said. "I think simple things like defining expectations, being really consistent and fair, everyone understanding their role, and you know, kind of putting the ego aside and working to earn more.

“You know, I think they are good at what they do because they have conviction about what they want their football team to look like, and there’s a big picture plan relative to purpose, right? I know for me, our purpose is the player, right? We want to create a life-changing organization that has impact on the person, the student and the football player."

Billy Napier defended by Nick Saban amid firing speculation

Billy Napier has been on the hot seat since the end of last season when he registered another losing season with Florida. Calls for him to be fired have grown with blowout losses against the Miami Hurricanes and the Texas A&M Aggies in 2024.

During a recent episode of "College GameDay," retired coach Nick Saban defended his former protege, instead blaming the Florida Gators for being left behind by the elites in the new NIL-aggressive era of college football.

"Things change. … They should've taken advantage of building better facilities when Urban Meyer was there," Saban said. "What's their collective been like? How have they adapted to this new model of college football? So it's not just the coaches.

"When you've been through four coaches that haven't had success, there's something else that people should be looking at."

The Gators' schedule is still the hardest in college football, and Billy Napier will need a miracle to weather the storm. However, his former mentor, Nick Saban, has shown his willingness to defend his protege.