You know, we were heading towards this discussion. Yes, Billy Napier did show signs of improvement. In 2024, the Gators won eight games and won their first postseason bowl game since the Orange Bowl with Dan Mullen in 2019. The eight victories are the high watermark of Napiers' tenure. However, the questions are still lingering if he is the guy to lead Florida back to prominence.
Those questions will always remain until Billy proves that he has returned Florida to the elite status the school is used to. It was mentioned earlier how winning is a must in the SEC for a coach to keep his job. That is the case with all the teams in the conference. But when you are the head man of a program where football is treated like a religion, the pressure ramps up.
Florida is on the same level as other schools like Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Georgia. Winning and success are a must. If a coach can't do it in a short amount of time, he's gone. The media have criticized Napier in the past. So have the fans of the Gators. The UF faithful have been so frustrated with this regime that they notoriously started a GoFundMe to get his contract bought out.
Some of that negative noise has died down a bit because of last year. However, if there is one coach in the entire nation that will be watched, it will be Napier again. The Gators seem to finally be on the right track and have a more manageable schedule compared to last year. For 2025, the Gators have to keep this momentum and increase the win total again. Anything less than another improvement will most likely see Napier get fired.