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Billy Napier details why he will continue to call plays in 2025

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•about 10 hours•

ZachAbolverdi

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Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gestures against the UCF Knights during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

While the Florida Gators have a new assistant coach on defense in 2025, their staff will remain the same on the offensive side of the ball. That includes UF coach Billy Napier continuing to call plays.

There was talk late last year that Napier could give up play-calling duties after the 2024 season, but Florida had no staff openings on offense to make a new hire and extended three offensive assistants.

Napier has been able to delegate some responsibilities with the promotion of Russ Callaway to co-offensive coordinator and more involvement from analysts Ryan O’Hara and John Donovan.

Napier discussed why he will continue to serve as Florida’s play-caller on offense during his appearance on the Gators Breakdown podcast.

“It helps us from an identity standpoint as a team. I think you’re a part of the inner workings from an installation script standpoint and then how game day goes,” Napier said. “Look, I think the big thing that we’ve been fortunate (with) is that we’ve got a really good offensive staff. You think about the position coaches that we have. I was really pleased with Russ Callaway and the more responsibility that he took on this year from a leadership standpoint and I’m excited about that part.

“Russ did a great job running the unit meetings, he did a good job organizing the staff. And certainly, in that coordinator type role as an exceptional young coach, that was where I think we took a step forward. I also think Ryan O’Hara being able to coach last year was a big deal. Him being the quarterback coach and then I was thankful for John Donovan. He helped us from a situational football standpoint. He did a great job.”

Callaway was promoted to Co-OC last year after signaling in play calls from the sideline during the 2023 season (prior to in-helmet communication). An NCAA rule change also removed coaching restrictions on O’Hara in practices and games.

Before joining Napier’s staff, Donovan was an analyst with the Green Bay Packers in 2022, spent four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and previously served as the offensive coordinator at Penn State, Washington and Vanderbilt.

The contributions from those three coaches, Napier said, has freed him up to keep calling plays. And he looks forward to seeing what his offense can do in 2025 with quarterback DJ Lagway and seven other returning starters.

“Some of those things as a head coach, the things maybe I used to do, I thought those guys did a great job taking some of that off my plate and I think in general that helped us be more productive down the stretch,” Napier said. “And look, I think we had some injuries at quarterback last year that certainly affected how we played, but I do think we played winning football down the stretch. I think we played complimentary football and we found ways to win.

“And I would argue that at the end of the year, we were one of the teams that nobody would want to play. So, I think we’re going to try to keep that momentum. We’ve added some playmakers for DJ, we’ve got a veteran offensive line group that’s coming back. We do have running back production, tight end production and I think Tre Wilson coming back paired with some of these young players at receiver, J. Mike [Sturdivant], we got a chance to be the best we’ve been in a long time here.”

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