Florida Gators Fire Coach Billy Napier After Disappointing Season

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The University of Florida fired football coach Billy Napier on Sunday, following a disappointing start to the 2025 season. Napier’s exit comes just one day after a chaotic victory against Mississippi State, which did little to redeem a lackluster tenure marked by missed opportunities and puzzling decisions.

Florida’s wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. This change was announced by Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, who expressed confidence in Gonzales’ understanding of the program’s culture.

Many had high hopes for the Gators under Napier, especially after a strong finish to the previous season. Florida kicked off 2025 with a resounding 55-0 win against Long Island but quickly fell off track, suffering defeats to South Florida, Louisiana State, and Miami.

Despite a final win against Mississippi State, the team’s struggles peaked after a 34-17 loss to Texas A&M the week prior. Napier concluded his Florida career with a 22-23 overall record, the lowest for any head coach within their first 30 games since Raymond Wolf from 1946 to 1949.

During his time at Florida, Napier never won a road game against a ranked opponent and recorded the first home loss to an in-state rival outside of Florida State or Miami since 1938. His previous success at Louisiana did not translate to a winning formula in Gainesville.

After taking over in 2021 following the dismissal of Dan Mullen, Napier’s effort was highlighted by three consecutive seasons of 10-plus wins while coaching the Ragin’ Cajuns. However, in his first three seasons at UF, the Gators had multiple damaging losses, including defeats to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Miami.

Despite some improvement during the 2024 season, culminating in a bowl victory and a four-game winning streak, the team’s inconsistency persisted. Napier often noted the importance of cohesion within the team, stating after a loss, “Our team is really close. We have to learn how to finish.”

Now, as Gonzales steps in as interim coach, he brings experience and a passion for the program. This will be his first head coaching position at the collegiate level, but he has a history of developing talented wide receivers and contributed to Florida’s previous successes.

“It’s an honor to be back in this building,” Gonzales said upon his return to the program in 2023. “I wear this Gator logo with great pride.”

The Gators will look to turn things around when they face Georgia on November 1 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.