Following another nightmare weekend for the Florida Gators, the pressure is reaching a boiling point in Gainesville.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has seen enough. He claims it’s time for the University of Florida to part ways with head coach Billy Napier.
The call comes after the Gators dropped to 1-2 on the season following a 33-20 home loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.
Appearing on The Matt Barrie Show, Finebaum did not mince words, urging the program to buy out Napier’s contract – estimated at $26 million – and move in a new direction.
“They cannot afford to keep Billy Napier because he has been an abject disaster,” Finebaum declared. “What we saw Saturday was pretty similar to what we saw in the first game, and there is no reason to believe it’s going to get much better.”
Fortunately for ticked-off Gators fans, there are reports that major Florida boosters are more than willing to chip in the $26 million needed to send Napier to the couch.
Finebaum pointed to Florida’s brutal upcoming schedule, which includes games against Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss, as further reason for concern.
He predicted the Gators are unlikely to finish with a winning record.
“Forget what I saw and what you saw on TV,” Finebaum said. “I talked to students all weekend. On our show Friday, they were chanting, ‘We want Lane [Kiffin].’ That was before the game, and you know what it was like after the game.”
Napier, who took over the program in 2022, has posted a 12-16 record during his tenure.
Finebaum speculated that Napier might not even make it to Florida’s Week 4 matchup against Mississippi State.
“I’ve heard so much BS from Florida people about how much better this program is going to be,” Finebaum said. “And it’s worse … Right now, I don’t think Napier will be coaching Florida this weekend.”
With Napier on the hot seat, speculation is growing about a potential return of former Florida coach Urban Meyer, who led the Gators to two national championships.
Finebaum floated the possibility during his conversation with Barrie, acknowledging that time may have healed old wounds between Meyer and the university.
“Well, I mean, we know there were a lot of bad feelings,” Finebaum said. “I don’t think those feelings are still there. It’s been a long time. And one thing you can’t deny about Urban Meyer is he came within a paper clip of winning three national championships in four years there, and that’s all that matters.
“I was with Steve Spurrier on Friday afternoon, and he was trying to defend Napier, although even Spurrier was running out of gas, and he said, ‘Well, you know, if we can just have a winning record…
“And I said, coach, you just got through saying that. I remember, in 2001, you were undefeated. You lost to Tennessee at home. It was the 9/11 year and the game was in the normal SEC championship game weekend, you lost by three points. You won the Orange Bowl, and finished number three in the country, and you quit because fans were unhappy about the season, and you went to the NFL. I mean, that’s how things used to be.”
While it remains to be seen whether Florida will make a drastic coaching change, Finebaum’s comments add fuel to an already tense situation.
Unless something truly shocking happens, it’s looking like a virtual lock that Napier will be a goner.
As for Kiffin, he has stated numerous times that he is happier than ever in Oxford. While most people are hesitant to take Lane at his word, the fact is he’s in a great situation at Ole Miss. While it sure as hell won’t be easy, his Rebels have a legitimate chance to win the national title this season.
Turning to Meyer, it’s safe to say that bringing him back to Gainesville would be an absolute grand slam for Florida. Sure, things didn’t end pretty the first time around – but as Finebaum mentioned, the scars of that situation seem to have healed.
The question is: should Meyer even be interested in the job? … As we know, college football has changed drastically since he left the sidelines.
Do you think the headaches of NIL and the transfer portal would be too great for Meyer to adjust to? … Or do you think that he would adjust flawlessly to the new world of college football?
Is Meyer indeed the perfect man to lead Florida back to the mountain top???
