Paul Finebaum: Florida should have fired Billy Napier at the end of the 2023 season
Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier entered the 2024 season on the hot seat. Now, after a 1-2 start and a difficult upcoming schedule, it’s only getting hotter for the embattled coach.
The criticism of Napier has been coming from all over in recent weeks. That includes Paul Finebaum who was highly critical of him on The Matt Barrie Show. There, he argued that Florida actually should have gotten rid of Napier at the end of the 2023 season.
“He was good in a lot of areas. He was a good organizer,” Paul Finebaum said. “But when you make mistakes in staffing and hiring, you’re going to fail. He made multiple mistakes. It was just too big for him. By the way, that’s the problem now with people. Everywhere I went in Gainesville in two out of the last three weekends I would say something about Napier, and [they would say], ‘Oh, Billy’s a good guy.’ I don’t care what kind of guy he is. Short of being a serial killer, I want you to be a good head coach.”
It’s been a difficult stretch of games for Billy Napier. Florida finished 2023 on a five-game losing streak before opening 2024 with a 1-2 record. In that time, Florida’s only win is over an FCS opponent and there is concern Napier won’t turn things around in time this season.
Watch College Football Games Live -Try for Free Fubo! Click HERE NOW
Save $30 on your first month of Fubo by CLICKING HERE NOW! For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
“People were just convinced that he was gonna make it and he should’ve been fired at the end of last season but they just decided to go all in on him and it was a disaster,” Finebaum said.
Amid all of this is a question about the future of athletic director Scott Stricklin. It’s rare that administrators are allowed to hire three straight football coaches, particularly when the previous hires haven’t worked out. Meanwhile, he’s loudly supported Napier.
“To your original point about the AD, I just don’t know. He’s well respected — Scott Stricklin. He’s hired the last two coaches. Whether we think [Dan] Mullen should’ve been fired or not, it doesn’t change the narrative that’s around him,” Finebaum said.
“Then, two weeks and a day ago, he sat next to me in Gainesville and said, ‘We believe in Billy. We think he’s methodically building this program back and we expect him to be here for a very long time.’ He doubled down. He wasn’t just saying — everything in college football is transactional. We’ll see at the end of the season, he didn’t say that.”
The upcoming schedule is a challenging one for the Florida Gators. Regardless of what the future might hold, it’s going to be difficult to have a winning season against the upcoming slate.