Billy Napier defends his job status at Florida: 'Change doesn't happen overnight'

College football can vary greatly in terms of expectations, both from within a program and on the outside. Florida is not necessarily a place known for its patience in building a program.

After two losing seasons under coach Billy Napier, patience is running a bit thin in Gainesville. Can Napier turn things around with a positive Year 3, despite record-low expectations on the outside?

He might well have to.

One of the first questions Billy Napier faced after arriving at the 2024 SEC Media Days was about his job status. Napier’s response was telling.

“Change doesn’t happen overnight. Timing is everything,” he said, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports. “When we took the job, what we inherited, the work that needed to be done… we’re on schedule.”

It’s certainly accurate that Billy Napier inherited a program on the decline, as evidenced by Dan Mullen‘s quick ouster despite having reached the SEC Championship Game a year before he was dumped. But the degree to which the program needed rebuilding is in question.

At least one SEC Network analyst seemed to agree with Napier that expecting things to be better in Year 3 was unrealistic.

“I still think this team is much closer to where they need to be, granted, not championship-contender status yet,” Greg McElroy said on Wednesday. “You’d love to be there in Year 3, that’s just not a realistic possibility with what Billy inherited.”

Here’s another reality: Florida will face one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2024, one that finishes with an absolute murderer’s row in the final month and change.

If Billy Napier is going to prove he’s the guy for Florida this season it will be earned.

So far, through his first two seasons, Napier has compiled an 11-14 overall record, with a 6-10 mark in SEC play.