Source: Florida fires Napier after 3-4 start in '25

Florida has fired manager Billy Napier with the Gators disconnected to a 3-4 commencement this season, a root told ESPN amid aggregate reports.

Napier, 46, finishes his clip astatine Florida with a 22-23 grounds successful 4 seasons.

The Gators person a bye this week earlier playing Georgia connected Nov. 1.

Votes of confidence, which Florida diversion manager Scott Stricklin gave to Napier astatine midseason past year, are often atrocious signs for coaches. But Napier validated his with however Florida finished past season, 1 that erstwhile appeared similar his past successful Gainesville. Napier navigated a brutal schedule, ending with wins implicit LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State and Tulane successful the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. And with a apical 10 recruiting people successful tow, the Gators opened 2025 with a Top 25 ranking and a swamp afloat of optimism.

But a disheartening nonaccomplishment to South Florida successful Gainesville successful Week 2 rapidly thrust Napier close backmost onto the blistery seat, with Florida's diversion section and boosters knowing afloat good that opponents -- overmuch tougher than the in-state Bulls -- were up connected the SEC way for Florida. Most astir assemblage shot thought Florida would suffer immoderate games this season. What they didn't deliberation was the South Florida crippled mightiness beryllium 1 of them.

The Gators struggled to bounce backmost from that location defeat. A week later, successful the SEC opener vs. LSU, penalties and turnovers ruled the day, arsenic the Gators fell, 20-10, to the Tigers successful Baton Rouge. The pursuing week, Florida was constricted to conscionable 7 archetypal downs successful a 26-7 nonaccomplishment astatine Miami, a crippled that included an 0-13 effort connected 3rd downs.

A rousing 29-21 triumph implicit Texas astatine location connected Oct. 4 quieted the critics for a week successful Gainesville, but past week, that momentum floated distant erstwhile the Gators were handled by Texas A&M 34-17 successful College Station successful beforehand of a primetime audience. And connected Saturday, successful beforehand of a grouchy location assemblage astatine The Swamp, wherever fans loudly chanted "Fire Billy!," Florida narrowly squeaked by Mississippi State, 23-21.

"I deliberation I'm built for it; I'm made for it," Napier said Saturday erstwhile asked astir his occupation status. "I chose the coaching profession; I was called to coach. The bully comes with the bad. The atrocious comes with the good. The game's astir the players, and I'm arrogant of the mode they played."

"I emotion the crippled of football," helium added, choking backmost tears. "I emotion the game."

There was a thought that -- with a top-tier backmost successful DJ Lagway and immoderate occurrence successful the transportation portal -- Napier had immoderate further runway this play arsenic the Gators chased their archetypal bid into the College Football Playoff. There was besides the substance of whopping buyout full -- an eye-popping astatine $20.4 cardinal -- with nary offset oregon mitigation connected the deal. But arsenic the losses piled up, and with rivals similar Georgia and Miami having top-10 seasons, the breaking constituent was reached successful Gainesville.

Florida hired Napier successful 2021 aft helium went 40-12 successful 4 seasons arsenic Louisiana's coach.