Billy Napier on reported past interest from Tennessee: 'It's humbling'

Florida coach Billy Napier is entering his second season with the Gators, hoping to build on a bowl appearance in his first year with the program.

But there was a brief period where Napier might have been coaching at an SEC East rival.

When Tennessee canned former coach Jeremy Pruitt, Napier was on the short list of candidates targeted for the job opening. The Volunteers ultimately ended up going with Josh Heupel, who has been quite successful through his first two seasons in the orange and white.

Napier, though, was thankful for being considered for the job.

“We were fortunate to have success at the University of Louisiana and it was really a result of a lot of people’s hard work,” Billy Napier said. “We had fantastic staff, we had a great group of players and that created opportunities for myself and other parts of our staff.”

The Tennessee opportunity didn’t end up being the one for Napier, who would take the Florida job one year later when Dan Mullen was fired.

Both programs are high-profile SEC programs, and Tennessee made waves last year by winning 11 games under Heupel and pushing for a College Football Playoff berth in 2022. Florida isn’t quite as close to the playoff picture, at least if preseason prognostications are any indication.

However, the Florida head man is ready to lace them up against Tennessee after being considered for that head coaching job.

“It’s humbling, that’s what I would tell you,” Billy Napier said. “All the success we’ve had has been a reflection of a lot of people’s hard work.”

So far, both programs have a lot to be grateful for with their new hires.

Tennessee’s success under Heupel has been pretty readily apparent. The Volunteers knocked off Alabama last season and pushed for a playoff spot by winning 11 games. An Orange Bowl win over Clemson by a dominant 31-14 score was the icing on the cake in Heupel’s second season.

Florida, meanwhile, has been a little less successful on the field, with Billy Napier facing a rebuild.

The team went 6-6 in the regular season and then lost a bowl game after quarterback Anthony Richardson opted to focus on the NFL Draft. Napier will be looking to match or exceed that regular-season record this fall against a very tough slate.

Despite the on-field results so far, Florida’s recruiting has been superb; the Gators currently boast the nation’s No. 4 2024 class.

Florida opens the season against Utah on the road and also faces Georgia and LSU away from home.