Napier understands frustration from Gators fans, preaches patience

Billy Napier is getting the full experience in his first year as a Power 5 head coach. While it’s not his first time running a program, there are a lot more eyes on you when you’re the head coach of the Florida Gators.

Fifty-one weeks ago, it was revealed that Napier would be UF bound. He coached Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game that week. Just a day later, he was announced on December 5 at his introductory press conference. It’s been a whirlwind and a rollercoaster.

His first season came with a unique opener against reigning Pac-12 Champion Utah. The Gators’ were underdogs but pulled out a close upset to kick off the Napier era. Two losses and a too-close-for-comfort win over a bad USF team certainly brought expectations back to Earth.

Throughout the season the Gators have struggled to build and keep momentum. It seemed they had turned the corner with big wins over Texas A&M and South Carolina, but that momentum and goodwill were drowned by the Commodores in Nashville.

It’s led to frustration, understandably. Florida hadn’t lost to Vanderbilt in Nashville in 34 years. The fans have called for Napier to relinquish playcalling and hire an offensive coordinator, among other requests or demands.

Napier hears the fanbase and responds

On Monday, following the upset loss to Vanderbilt, Napier was asked about some of the displeasure in the fanbase over where the program is. What is his response to some who are critical of the program, his playcalling, or where they view the team as it nears Napier’s one-year anniversary?

“That’s an interesting question. I would tell you we’ve got a lot of folks working extremely hard, a lot of people that care,” Napier said. “There’s nobody that cares and works like this group of people — players, staff members. The time that these people spend relative to doing their job at a high level, I would say that one day at a time, one person at a time, this group, we’re going to get it done.”

It’s amazing the way that one game can change the mood of a fanbase and the perceived direction. Winners in its last two games, Florida had a chance to make that three in a row. That would have improved its record to 7-4 and gave a chance to end Napier’s first season at 8-4 before a bowl game. Now, UF is nearly a double-digit underdog to rival Florida State. The Seminoles come into the contest with their own four-game winning streak.

The Gators have lost to all of their rivals to this point of the season.

Napier is right to ask for patience and that request isn’t reactionary. He made the request in his introductory press conference. He’s not skirting responsibility. The 2022 Florida Gators are what their record says they are.

Florida has been a team that can beat just about any team that it lines up with. It’s also shown to be more than capable of losing to teams with inferior talent.

“Bottom line — and I told our team this yesterday — I really have confidence in the work that we did throughout the week. When the ball’s spotted and the first play begins, you got to go earn the right to win, and you’ve got to go execute, you’ve got to do your job,” Napier said Monday. “There’s hundreds of people that contribute to that in this game, and I think that’s the challenge. That’s what I love about the game is the leadership challenge that comes with getting the organization and the team to perform on a consistent basis.”

This week isn’t necessarily a must-win game. Florida isn’t in contention for the College Football Playoff. You’re not getting rings or hanging banners this season. A win Friday night in Tallahassee would, however, give the fan base bragging rights and a four-game winning streak over their hated rivals.

The noise around Florida’s system this week would pale in comparison to that of Florida State if Mike Norvell, in his third season, cannot lead his team to a win over a middling Florida team that just lost to Vanderbilt.

This might not be a must-win, but it sure feels like one that Napier and the Gators better win.