Billy Napier does not sound like a head coach facing pending litigation or any hot seat talk
SANDESTIN, Fla. — With a holiday tan and a fresh haircut, Billy Napier did not look or sound like a man facing any sort of guillotine.
Making his first public comments since the bombshell Jaden Rashada lawsuit dropped last week, Florida’s embattled head coach cooly stated that he was “comfortable with (his) actions” and expressed confidence that his 2024 Gators football team is positioned to perhaps surprise some folks who are already calling for his head before a critical Year 3 in Gainesville.
“Look, there’s no magic pill. There’s no magic potion we can drink,” Napier told On3 at the 2024 SEC Spring Meetings.
“But I think we executed the first half of the offseason the best we’ve done since we’ve been there. We certainly have evolved, we’ve adapted, and I feel good about our systems. I think ultimately, we’ve got credible leadership for the first time. Our players have been there for two weeks for summer school, and that building has been full every day. I’ve got confidence in our team.”
Napier confident the lawsuit has not put a damper on Florida’s offseason
Billy Napier is 11-14 in two seasons as Florida’s head coach. He hasn’t quite recruited up to par, he’s whiffed on some staff hires and is now at the center of a lawsuit by a former player who now plays for arch-rival Georgia.
“A sign of the times, possibly?” UGA head coach Kirby Smart said when asked his reaction to the stunning news last week.
It’s certainly a strange reality, but definitely not one that seems to have fazed Napier.
Despite the pressure-cooker season that awaits this fall, Florida’s head coach was adamant — albeit in a relaxed and calm manner — that the Rashada lawsuit has not put a damper on the Gators’ offseason momentum.
After a disastrous 5-7 season in 2022, Napier overhauled his coaching staff, changed Florida’s strength and conditioning program (both philosophically and staff-wise) and upgraded the roster with 15 transfers and ballyhooed high-school signees like 5-star quarterback DJ Lagway and pass rusher LJ McCray. Florida also brought in potential impact transfers like Cormani McClain and Arizona State wideout Elijah Badger.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do that if we didn’t have a healthy culture, if we didn’t have really good systems if we didn’t have a good product to sell,” Napier said.
“There’s a difference between outside narrative and what people experience when they come to our campus.”
And yet, the Jaden Rashada story is one that won’t go away from Napier and the Gators.
Rashada, a former UF signee who filed legal action against several parties including Florida’s head coach, has accused Napier of fraud for failing to fulfill an alleged $13 million NIL deal. The suit also alleges that Napier promised Rashada $1 million for his signature on National Signing Day, yet UF’s head coach dismissed the notion the lawsuit is a black cloud on his program. He also dismissed the notion of any negative ramifications in the recruiting process moving forward. He was emphatic that Florida has its NIL house in order, and the Rashada saga isn’t an indication that the Gators don’t fulfill their promises.
“This narrative has been out there for a long time,” Napier said.
“I think we got that question two years ago or a year-and-a-half ago, and I don’t necessarily think it slowed us down, to some degree. So, look, we’re going to keep moving forward. This process has been going, ultimately, the NCAA process. We can’t say much more than that.”
Can Florida exceed expectations in 2024?
Billy Napier understands the heat is on. He was tasked with turning around a Florida program that has receded to the middle of the SEC, and the first two seasons haven’t gone according to plan.
Perhaps that’s about to change.
“We knew what we were getting into. That’s why we have a seven-year deal. It’s going to be a body of work. But I’m up for the challenge,” Napier said.
He made very similar statements to me just a year ago at this very setting.
The difference seems to be Napier actually believes it this time.
When asked point blank if this was a make-or-break season for him, Napier reminded reporters that the perception of what Florida was — an annual national championship contender — is more than 15 years in the rearview mirror, but make no mistake, he’s responsible to “establish those expectations again.”
“We didn’t make progress in some of the areas Year 1 to Year 2, so we made some changes, and I think those have proved to be beneficial. Coaching, infrastructure, strength, condition, and nutrition, we’ve added people in front office roles. We’ve solidified our NIL processes and system. There’s a lot of work that has been done and that gives us some confidence.”
The Gators face a 2024 schedule (11 Power 5 opponents, eight likely preseason Top 25 teams) that would rank among the hardest slates ever. Their preseason win total sits at 5.5 — i.e., projected to miss a bowl game for the second consecutive season, something that hasn’t happened in 45 years — but Napier didn’t talk like a coach who has a bad football team or is daunted by a nightmarish set of games.
He’s excited about his roster’s player development. He believes Graham Mertz is among the more underrated quarterbacks in the country, and is confident his blueprint (with some needed tweaks and adjustments) is finally ready to be properly implemented.
“We’re getting ready to feel the most experienced team that we’ve had since we’ve been at Florida,” Napier said.
“We’ve got a returning starter quarterback. We’ve got one of five runners that’s got 2,500 yards in his career. I think we’ve made critical additions to our team in the secondary and offensive tackle. It’s the deepest, most experienced team that we’ve had. … I’ve got confidence in our team.”