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Billy Napier and his Florida football program saw a second-half surge last season that ostensibly saved the head coach’s job, finishing above the .500 mark for the first time in four years while winning their first bowl game since 2019.
It was a clutch stretch that gave Napier and Co. a second life… but they are not out of the woods quite yet.
Once again, the Orange and Blue face one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, which includes navigating through a brutal Southeastern Conference slate. While the hot seat status of the sideline corps has cooled to a simmer this summer, a bad start to the 2025 campaign could turn the burner right back up.
Following the past week’s SEC media days event, The Athletic’s Seth Emerson took on the task of assembling his preseason head coach hot seat index. In it, he placed Napier in the “lukewarm” category — below the “hot” and “warm”, but above the final “cool, but…” tiers — alongside LSU Tigers skipper Brian Kelly.
“The vibes in Gainesville are definitely good, and Napier has turned a corner after winning five of seven to end 2024,” Emerson begins. “After going through the media gauntlet on Wednesday, Napier acknowledged it was a nice change from last year.”
“A little more narrative about turning around, than how do you turn it around, if that makes sense,” Napier offered during his turn at the podium. “Look, we’re preparing to be dropped in the deep end of the ocean again. That’s the world we live in. The good thing is we have a team that’s prepared, they know what winning football looks like.”
However, Emerson acknowledges that there are plenty of variables in play — many of which can easily turn for the worse.
“Still, things could go sideways again, especially with a daunting schedule and the health of QB DJ Lagway still a question. And Napier’s buyout is down to $20 million. He may not need a College Football Playoff appearance, but he does need to keep momentum in the right direction,” he concludes.
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