Even with the big-time win over the Texas Longhorns last weekend, Florida head coach Billy Napier is fighting for his job with everything he's got. In over three weeks, the Florida Gators will host the Georgia Bulldogs, but will Napier still be on the sidelines?
Over the last two years, Napier's seat has grown increasingly hot, and while the win over the Horns cooled it off a few degrees, it's still extremely close to its boiling point.
So far this year, the Gators have gone 2-3 overall, including an embarrassing loss to the USF Bulls, and 1-1 in conference play. With a matchup against the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies and another against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Florida doesn't have an easy road ahead.
If the Gators lose to Texas A&M and Mississippi State, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was facing a different leader for the World's Largest Cocktail Party.
Kirby Smart record vs. Billy Napier
- 2022: 42-20, Georgia
- 2023: 43-20, Georgia
- 2024: 34-20, Georgia
Since taking over the Florida football program in 2022, Napier has gone 0-3 against Smart and the Bulldogs, with all three games being double-digit wins for Georgia.
Before joining the Gators, Napier coached the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and led the program to an incredible 40-12 record over four seasons, including wins in the 2019 LendingTree Bowl over Miami (OH) and the 2020 First Responder Bowl over UTSA.
At the end of the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Louisiana finished in the top 20 of the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. All of this led to Napier being hired as Florida's head coach.
Now, just four years into his tenure in Gainesville, people are struggling to remember why the Gators ever hired him in the first place.
No. 10 Georgia and unranked Florida are scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 1, and the game will be broadcast on ABC.