Paul Finebaum has blunt reaction to Billy Napier's firing rumors after poor start for Florida in 2024: "Short of being a serial killer"

Another weekend, another Florida Gators loss under coach Billy Napier, this time against the Texas A&M Aggies. According to an ESPN report, Florida boosters already gathered the $26 million that would be required to buy out the embattled coach's contract.

During an appearance on the "Matt Barrie Show," controversial ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on the Gators potentially firing Napier, which highlights how he is perceived in Gainesville.

“He (Napier) was good in a lot of areas. He was a good organizer,” Paul Finebaum said. “But when you make mistakes in staffing and hiring, you’re going to fail. He made multiple mistakes. It was just too big for him. By the way, that’s the problem now with people."

"Everywhere I went in Gainesville in two out of the last three weekends I would say something about Napier, and [they would say], ‘Oh, Billy’s a good guy.’ I don’t care what kind of guy he is. Short of being a serial killer, I want you to be a good head coach. People were just convinced that he was gonna make it and he should’ve been fired at the end of last season but they just decided to go all in on him and it was a disaster."

Billy Napier's future tied to Florida AD

Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin hired Billy Napier in 2021 after firing former coach Dan Mullen. According to Paul Finebaum on "The Matt Barrie Show," Stricklin's future is also on shaky ground with the way the football team has stumbled under Napier's guidance.

“To your original point about the AD, I just don’t know. He’s well respected — Scott Stricklin. He’s hired the last two coaches. Whether we think Dan Mullen should’ve been fired or not, it doesn’t change the narrative that’s around him,” Finebaum said.

Finebaum revealed that Stricklin recently backed the beleaguered Billy Napier despite the Gators' rough start to the season.

“Then, two weeks and a day ago, he sat next to me in Gainesville and said, ‘We believe in Billy. We think he’s methodically building this program back and we expect him to be here for a very long time.’ He doubled down. He wasn’t just saying — everything in college football is transactional. We’ll see at the end of the season, he didn’t say that,” Finebaum said.

Whether Billy Napier will be kept on as the Florida Gators coach due to his relationship with the athletic director or whether he will be fired due to the state of the team will be closely watched by both fans and analysts.