Florida fires Napier after 3-4 start

The Billy Napier era at Florida is finally over.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin fired the embattled coach Sunday following Saturday's narrow win over Mississippi State, the school announced.

Napier's dismissal had been rumored for weeks, but the administration opted to wait for an open date. The Gators don't play again until Nov. 1, their annual rivalry game with Georgia.

While Napier's tenure had positive moments, he was never able to sustain enough momentum to get the program back among the SEC's elite. He finishes with a 22-23 overall record with 12 conference wins in four seasons.

Napier seemed destined for the unemployment line last season after the Gators started his third campaign 4-3. However, the team rallied down the stretch with four straight wins. That was enough for Florida's brass to give him one more chance with quarterback DJ Lagway looking like an emerging star.

That momentum had evaporated by Week 2, with the Gators falling at home to South Florida in a stunning loss that essentially determined Napier's fate. Subsequent losses to Miami, LSU, and Texas A&M removed any shine from a home victory over Texas, and the move became a matter of when, not if.

Florida's football program hasn't won more than eight games since 2019. It's a steep decline from the dynasty Urban Meyer built in Gainesville that won national titles in 2006 and 2008.

Stricklin will now lead the search to hire his third head coach for the Gators. The longtime athletic director previously brought in Dan Mullen and Napier. Wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales will serve as Florida's interim head coach for the remainder of the season.