Billy Napier hot seat: Scott Stricklin will lead Florida head coach search, per report

Billy Napier is on the hot seat with the Florida Gators, and there’s much debate going around regarding the potential for wholesale changes, which would involve athletic director Scott Stricklin.

According to Brandon Marcello and Richard Johnson of CBS Sports, Stricklin has an interesting role to play in the entire ordeal. While many believe Napier’s fate is already sealed, Stricklin’s future is a bit more murky.

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“Florida appears to have hit the point of no return under coach Billy Napier,” CBS Sports reported. “Though many supporters believe it is inevitable the third-year coach’s tenure will end this fall, the mechanism pushing the buttons behind the scenes has been shrouded by an opaque power structure at the university.

“Administrators at the university level and within the athletics department have remained mum as rumors circle Napier after two blowout losses. The reality is Napier can be fired at any moment, sources tell CBS Sports. Questions abound, too, about the future of athletics director Scott Stricklin, who serves an interim university president with a board of trustees comprised of powerful political players in the state.”

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While some believe Stricklin would go along with Napier, that’s evidently not the case, if CBS Sports is to be believed. Stricklin reportedly has the ability to make the final call on Napier, and if he does decide to fire him, he’ll lead the charge in finding his replacement.

“Behind the scenes, the gears are already in motion for a potential change, and there is more alignment among administrators than message board rumors tend to say. Stricklin, who is facing criticism of his own after decisions to hire Dan Mullen and then Napier, has been informed the decision whether to fire Napier is his to make,” CBS Sports added. “In that scenario, Stricklin will also be tasked with searching for a new coach, sources familiar with the discussions at Florida told CBS Sports this week. 

“… Rumors of wholesale changes in the athletics department appear premature, sources tell CBS Sports, with communication between the president’s office and Stricklin remaining open and positive. Napier, however, is the lone party on an island, fighting for survival.”

Alas, barring a miraculous turnaround, it seems like Scott Stricklin and the Florida Gators will be looking for a new leader sooner rather than later. The program is on the road in Week 4, as they’ll face Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday afternoon.