Florida coach Billy Napier comments about being on coaching hot seat (Coaching Hot Seat)

The high-water, to this point anyway, probably came in Billy Napier's first game as Florida head coach.

His Gators stunned No. 7-ranked Utah to open the 2022 season, and folks in the Sunshine State as well as around college football wondered if the Gators might be back.

Today, there's speculation -- seemingly after every Florida game -- if Billy Napier will be back as coach.

Napier's Florida teams have gone just 8-13 in their last 21 games, including last season's 5-7 disaster.

The Gators are 3-3 at the midpoint of this season, falling last Saturday in overtime at heavily favored Tennessee in a game that Florida had ample opportunity to win in regulation. 

It wasn't too surprising Wednesday, then, when Napier was asked about being considered on college football's coaching hot seat. 

"Yeah, I mean, I don't have any control over that," said Napier, who's 54-29 as a head coach but just 14-17 at Florida. "So, I think one of the most important things that we can do when put in these positions and having these great opportunities is focus on doing the best job you can do for your players and your staff. 

"You get into the season, you've got to hit the reset button and it is literally, you are in the moment, present and focused on the task at hand."

Napier did emphasize his belief in the Gators, who suffered a blow-out loss at home to Miami to open the season.

"One thing I can say about our team is that I do think we are improving," he said. "I'm excited about this group of players, their attitude, their character, the way they've handled some of the adversity. And obviously they put it on the line last Saturday night and came up a little short, but I do think both the performance-character and moral-character of our team has continued to improve.

"I'm excited about our opportunity that we've got Saturday night."

That Saturday night tilt in the Swamp is against Mark Stoops's Kentucky, which has beaten the Gators in each of Napier's first two seasons.

After a bye week, Florida closes its season-long gauntlet with November games against Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State.  

I think this staff and the players have done a good job collaborating. We have a motivated group, we've got a group that's very self-aware, high level of character. 

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