Is Will Harris fired? Looking at Billy Napier's secondary coach's latest move

Billy Napier finished his third stint with the Florida Gators during the 2024 season. After disappointing fans during their 2023 campaign, Napier led the team to an 8-5 record and a Gasparilla Bowl victory against the Tulane Green Wave last season. However, there is still a lot of work to be done if Napier wants to help the program regain its former glory.

Unfortunately for the team and its fans, the offseason has not gone off to a good start for Napier. He has lost one of the most crucial members of his coaching staff, assistant coach Will Harris. So was Harris fired by the Gators?

Is Will Harris fired?

No, Will Harris was not fired by the Florida Gators. However, he has decided to leave Gainesville after just one season with them. According to reports, Harris is now joining the Miami Hurricanes as their new defensive backs coach.

247Sports' Matt Zenitz was the first to report the news of Will Harris' departure from the Florida Gators on Thursday. In just one season, he helped Billy Napier's secondary drastically improve in comparison to their 2023 season.

Under Harris, the Gators secondary improved from three interceptions in 2023 to 14 in 2024. They also had 7.3 yards per attempt in 2024. Their four-game winning streak at the end of the season helped the Gators jump from No. 87 to No. 3 in the nation in passing yards per game.

Will Harris was also influential in bringing in top talents to Gainesville. He was considered one of the best recruiters in the state of Florida and helped the program build a strong 2025 recruiting class with prospects like Ben Hanks III, Onis Konanbanny, Hylton Stubbs and Lagonza Hayward.

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Will Harris is not the first to depart from Billy Napier's coaching staff

Apart from Harris, the Gators lost several other members of their 2024 coaching staff this offseason. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong left to join the Houston Cougars in the same position.

Florida also lost quality control analyst Beyah Rasool after he joined the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. Additionally, defensive analyst CJ Wilford left Gainesville after three seasons to join Georgia State as its safeties coach after the 2024 season.

Billy Napier has already addressed some of these departures. He hired Vinnie Sunseri and Robert Bala as the co-defensive coordinators for the upcoming season.

Now, he will have to focus on bringing in another individual to his coaching staff who can help them secure top talents in recruiting just like how Harris did during his one-season stint with the program.