Billy Napier will return for a fourth season as Florida's head coach, AD Scott Stricklin announced Thursday.
"I wanted to let you know Billy Napier will continue as head football coach of the Florida Gators," Stricklin wrote in a letter to Florida supporters that was released to the public. "... I am confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. We will work alongside him to support any changes needed to elevate Gator football. As college athletics evolves, UF is committed to embracing innovation and strategy, ensuring the Gators thrive in today's competitive landscape."
The timing of this announcement is not coincidental.
Following a 1-2 start in which the Gators were soundly beaten by Miami and Texas A&M at home, Florida has played admirable football in recent weeks. Florida won the ultimate trap game in dispatching UCF at home, took No. 8 Tennessee to overtime despite losing starting quarterback Graham Mertz for the season mid-game, then blew out Kentucky at home.
This past Saturday, Florida displayed a spirited effort in losing 34-20 to No. 2 Georgia, a game in which 5-star freshman quarterback DJ Lagway suffered what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury. Napier has since announced that Lagway's injury is not as bad as it appeared on the field in Jacksonville -- he was listed as questionable on the initial injury report Florida released Wednesday night -- but, with Mertz out, Florida's choices are either a hobbled freshman or Aidan Warner, a Yale signee who joined the program as a walk-on.
In announcing this now, Stricklin is subtly signaling to the fan base that these next three games -- at No. 5 Texas, then home against No. 15 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss -- will not be counted against Napier, given the circumstances.
At 4-4 on the season, Florida needs to win at Florida State on Nov. 30 and spring one upset in the next three weeks to avoid missing a bowl game for a second straight season, and they would need to then win that bowl game to avoid the program's fourth consecutive losing campaign, dating back to Dan Mullen's final season in 2021.
Regardless of whether or not that happens, Florida arrived at the conclusion that the pragmatic choice is to keep Napier rather than start over at a time when the program expects to add a $20+ million payroll to its books beginning in 2025. Napier's buyout sits at $26 million, and the cost to disengage from his entire staff is an estimated $40 million.
Should the program dismiss Napier, Florida would have to pay that figure, commit tens upon tens of millions to a new staff, and see its roster -- starting with Lagway -- decimated by the transfer portal.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.