Florida Gators coach Billy Napier has come into the 2024 season on the hot seat. If he is to keep his job with the SEC program, his team needs to do well on the field and surpass expectations.
However, his season hasn't gotten off to the best of starts. The Gators were defeated by the Miami Hurricanes 41-17. To make things worse, Florida quarterback Graham Mertz left the game in the third quarter with an injury.
But, while things are currently not great for Napier, things have been slightly better. So, what has he achieved as coach of the Florida Gators?
What has Billy Napier achieved with the Florida Gators?
Napier arrived in Gainville for the 2022 season. This season would be his best with Florida. The Gators were 6-7 (3-5 conference play), which included an opening week victory over the then No. 7 ranked Utah Utes.
The six wins gave the Gators a spot in the Las Vegas Bowl, where they would lose to the Oregon State Beavers 30-3.
Last year, the Gators saw a minor backward step. They went 5-7 (3-5 conference play) for the season. While they defeated the No. 11-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, they struggled in the second half of the season, losing their last five games.
This means that, with the loss to the Miami Hurricanes in week one of the 2024 season, the Florida Gators are on a six-game losing streak.
How has Billy Napier reacted to the opening week defeat?
After the defeat to the Hurricanes, Billy Napier said this to ESPN:
“It's embarrassing, to be quite honest with you. That’s how I feel. That’s how our kids feel. We’ve got a decision to make. That's what I just told them. There’s no excuses. Keep our mouths shut, show up, and work. We have to do better.”
Billy Napier has not done a lot with the Florida Gators and will need to show a huge improvement to keep his job.
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