Around the nation, college coaches are getting fired. The latest victim? Penn State’s James Franklin. With fewer losses and more time spent on the AP Poll, it’s no surprise Florida fans might expect Napier to be next.
Billy Napier is not a fan favorite, but he stays true as a player favorite. Coming off a loss to Texas A&M, his departure seems more likely. So, Napier, along with the rest of the Gators, looks to homecoming week as another fresh start. The pressure, however, will be relentless with alumni filling the seats of Ben Griffin Stadium Saturday.
Fan and media reactions to his tenure have been mixed so far. After the loss to the Aggies, there was frustration and criticism, but some have publicly supported Napier. Penn State Board of Trustees member Jay Paterno argued Florida fans should consider the schedule Napier faced before rushing to judgement on WRUF’s “Sportscene With Steve Russell.”
“I’m not sure God could win every one of those games, let alone go 10-2,” he said. “It’s every week, and you have kids get hurt, you have kids transfer, you have all these things happening. It’s a totally different world.”
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One of the biggest factors in any decision around Napier is his contract. He is currently owed $51.8 million over seven years by the university. His buyout this year is about $21.3 million. And, to keep a job in the SEC, you need to perform.
None knows that better than Franklin. During Franklin’s 12 seasons, he has achieved significant success, including a Big Ten championship and a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance in 2024. After losses to Northwestern and UCLA, once-No. 2 Penn State found itself no longer ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll.
The loss mirrors that against the University of South Florida. Both teams fell short of what could have been easy wins. Both fan bases left disappointed.
As a whole, both programs struggled to develop players at key offensive positions like quarterback and wide receiver despite recruiting highly. Franklin, much like Napier, is the face of the program. He was always the collateral damage.
It’s harder, though, to see why this hasn’t happened to Nappier yet. With Franklin having a longer history at the school, there’s an argument for a more prolonged stay due to the previous success.
Although several factors contributed to the decision, Franklin’s record against top-10 teams was 4-21, including a 1-18 record against top-10 Big Ten opponents. falling short in crucial matchups, especially against rivals like Ohio State and Oregon, ultimately proved to be a major factor.
Napier is still in the early stages of his Florida tenure, but he has a losing record and an inability to consistently win against ranked competition, particularly away from home. Napier’s win percentage is the worst for a Florida coach since Raymond Wulff, who went 13-24-2 for the Gators from 1946-49. Yet Florida players have maintained support for their embattled coach.
Both coaches took over major college programs – Penn State and Florida – with championship aspirations and critical fan bases. Florida’s coach acknowledged the reality of his situation during Monday’s press conference.
“You live in a production world and you have to produce,” Napier said.
