ESPN’s Paul Finebaum Calls For Billy Napier’s Firing

Immediately after the loss to the USF Bulls, fans and media argued for the firing of head coach Billy Napier. Even Paul Finebaum, ‘The Loudmouth of the South,’ argued for his firing.

Billy Napier has a 20-20 record throughout his tenure at Florida, and that is not nearly acceptable enough for Gator fans. Despite being ranked No.9 for the 2025 recruiting class, Napier has been unable to translate the hype onto the field.

“He completely blew it,” Finebaum said on a guest appearance on the McElroy and Cubelic show.

Unfortunately for the Gators, the path only gets harder from here. The next four opponents for Florida consist of top-25 opponents. First, they play No. 3 LSU, then No. 5 Miami on the road. The team then comes back to the Swamp for No. 7 Texas.

“When you look at the next four or five games, even if you win one of those…then you are back to square one, and the odds of Billy Napier winning all four of those games is pretty close to zero,” Finebaum said.
Critics of Napier believe that he cannot establish a winning culture with the Gators. This came into fruition as penalties were a significant issue throughout Saturday’s game. Florida committed 11 penalties resulting in 103 yards.

Most notably, defensive lineman Brendan Bett spat on a USF football player on the last drive of the game. It led to the Bulls kicking a game-winning field goal. Bett later apologized on social media for his actions that “let down [his] teammates.”

Another major criticism of Napier is his game management and play-calling. Three times Florida went into USF’s red zone, and each time they concluded with a field goal. Napier said in Monday’s press conference he knew the responsibility fell on him.

“Not good enough, and it’s my responsibility,” he said. “I think when you evaluate the game, the red zone missed opportunities caught up with us, and we let them hang around.”

Florida announced yesterday that Napier will continue to call plays for the Gators, regardless of the backlash the head coach is facing.

The Gators are looking to bounce back from last week as they travel to Death Valley to take on No.3 LSU in an SEC showdown, with the hot seat for Napier only getting warmer.

Category: College Football, Gators Football, SEC