Billy Napier sends message to Florida fans after disappointing Gasparilla Bowl loss
Billy Napier knows brighter days are ahead for the Florida Gators, even if losing to UCF feels like a new low. The new head coach tweeted a message of positivity on Christmas Eve morning after the loss in the Gasparilla Bowl.
“Don’t ever forget … ‘The best view comes after the hardest climb.’ #GoGators,” Napier shared along with a photo of sunrise over Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The game remained close through the first three quarters, with teams trading leads back and forth. However, UCF scored the final 13 points of the game to pull away with the victory.
With the Knights up just 19-17 late in the third, quarterback Mikey Keene found Ryan O’Keefe for a 54-yard touchdown connection. That seemed to give UCF the momentum it needed to finish out the game.
The UCF defense gave up just one touchdown in the second half, and that came with 7:58 left in the third quarter.
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The victory marked the first in school history for UCF against Florida. The two schools had previously met twice before in 1999 and 2006. The Knights finished the season with a 9-4 record, marking their fifth consecutive season with a winning record. They have come a long way since going winless in 2015.
Napier, Florida targeting NFL assistants
Roughly a month after his hiring, Florida head coach Billy Napier is looking to fill out his coaching staff. According to a report from G. Allen Taylor of The Athletic, Napier is looking to the NFL level for his newest assistants.
The Athletic reports that defensively, Napier is targeting Chris Rumph from the Chicago Bears, Karl Scott from the Minnesota Vikings and Eric Henderson from the Los Angeles Rams. On the offensive side, he is trending towards Rob Sale of the New York Giants.
The contracts for any of the aforementioned coaches have not yet been finalized, according to the report. Florida will likely have to table discussions for some time, given that Napier won’t begin discussions until the NFL season — or, at least the seasons of the teams for which the candidates coach — comes to a conclusion.
On3’s Simon Gibbs contributed to this report.