Steve Spurrier: Florida, Billy Napier 'can't just keep on doing whatever we're doing'

Florida legend Steve Spurrier is currently an ambassador in the Gators athletics department, so he typically tries to stay positive. However, there wasn’t much positive to say after Florida was blasted by rival Miami 41-17 Saturday afternoon in The Swamp.

Spurrier joined Pat Dooley on Another Dooley Noted Podcast on Monday and was asked for his reaction to Saturday’s game. His message to Gators head coach Billy Napier — it’s time to start doing things differently.

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“Obviously I am the UF ambassador, so I can’t be critical. You can, I can’t. Or I shouldn’t be,” Steve Spurrier said. “But obviously it was very disappointing watching the way the whole team performed. I mean all the way down the ladder.

“The only suggestion that I’m going to have is that Billy Napier and his guys, they need to do some things differently. And they can choose how to do it differently, but we can’t just keep on doing whatever we’re doing, during the week, pregames, blah, blah, blah. Just everything, all the way down the line.”

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Spurrier recalled a time in 1991 when his Gators team lost to Syracuse in Week 3. He made players get up early and run extra after the loss, including running the stairs at The Swamp.

Florida responded by winning its final eight regular season games to close out the year. Spurrier credits the changes that were made.

“You have to enforce discipline when you have to. And all that team did in ’91 is won the rest of them,” Steve Spurrier said. “You can change from an average bunch of jokers into a damn good team if you change some stuff.”

Billy Napier is in his third season leading the Florida program and things haven’t gone well thus far. The Gators had losing seasons in both 2022 and 2023 and are now 0-1 in 2024.

With the way the schedule sets up, there aren’t a whole lot of reasons for optimism in Gainesville. However, Steve Spurrier isn’t giving up if some changes are made.

“Whatever we’re doing, and that’s up to the head ball coach over there, Billy Napier, man, all I’m going to say, do something different. I don’t care what it is, do something different,” Spurrier said.