![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Gators won 45-7. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4106,h_2309/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/356/01j7bgqy7k05w9b073h8.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Gators won 45-7. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
The Florida Gators defeated their FCS opponent the Samford Bulldogs 45-7 this past weekend, following an abysmal 41-17 defeat against the Miami Hurricanes in week one. The game against the Hurricanes was highly anticipated all offseason as a potential turning point for head coach Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. The game however did not turn out that way with the Gators amassing only 261 yards of total offense.
Although the Gators got back on the winning track this past weekend, the jury is still out for the third-year head coach in Napier. Many feel that if Napier even gets to 6-6 his job is safe in Gainesville. Napier has failed to have a winning season in his first two years in Gainesville, going 12-15. Now in his third season, it is make or break time.
While the 6-6 theory still may be on the table, the other one to many is that Napier and the Gators need to look competitive in games even when he loses. Well, they looked far from that against their only FBS opponent so far this season in the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes meanwhile are also in their third season under head coach Mario Cristoball and appear to be a program in a much better state and a competitor for the ACC title in 2024.
After seeing what I have seen for more than two season in Gainesville at this point, the worst thing for Gator fans would be Napier keeping his job for another year. Considering all but five players on the current roster were Napier’s recruiters or players he brought in through the transfer portal, a 7-5 or 8-4 type of season is the best Napier may ever put together. And that is far below expectations of Gators fans who are a national championship or bust type of program.
The last time the Gators were relevant to be fair was under head coach Urban Meyer who guided the Gators to national championships in the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Reading that statement that lists two national championships in three seasons, let alone one is tough to fathom happening for a coach like Napier.
No fan base ever roots for their team to lose. So, I hate to say it, but if four or five loss seasons is the best Napier is going to do, the Gators need to cut ties now. If not, they are just prolonging the inevitable at this point.