Florida head coach Billy Napier sounded like a coach who is lost after losing to Georgia

In the three seasons before Billy Napier was hired as the Florida Gators' head coach, when he was serving as the head coach at Louisiana, he lost just five games total. Napier has lost four games through eight games so far during his first season in Gainesville. Now, that doesn't mean that Napier is going […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Tennessee Vols Billy Napier

In the three seasons before Billy Napier was hired as the Florida Gators' head coach, when he was serving as the head coach at Louisiana, he lost just five games total.

Napier has lost four games through eight games so far during his first season in Gainesville.

Now, that doesn't mean that Napier is going to be a bust at Florida — it's still too early to know if that will or won't be the case.

But I'd say Napier has quickly found out that being a head coach in the SEC is a lot different than being a head coach in the Sun Belt.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shake hands midfield at the end of the Bulldog's victory over the Gators. The annual Georgia vs Florida football rivalry was held at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Saturday, October 29, 2022. The Bulldogs went in at halftime with a 28 to 3 lead over the Gators and won with a final score of 42 to 20. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] Jki 102822 Bs Georgia Vs Florida Football Game 2nd Half 08
Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shake hands midfield at the end of the Bulldog’s victory over the Gators. The annual Georgia vs Florida football rivalry was held at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Saturday, October 29, 2022. The Bulldogs went in at halftime with a 28 to 3 lead over the Gators and won with a final score of 42 to 20. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 102822 Bs Georgia Vs Florida Football Game 2nd Half 08

Napier sounded like he was at a loss on Saturday after the Gators' 42-20 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville.

He also made a comment that sounded a lot like something former Tennessee Vols head coach Butch Jones would've said.

Napier listed the reasons Florida lost before saying, "What I respect about that group of men in the locker room is that they really care. They've worked hard on getting to know each other."

I don't think I've ever heard a coach say — after a loss to a main rival — that his team has worked hard to get to know each other. I don't even know what the point of bringing that up could possibly be. What a strange comment from Napier, a coach who has had numerous strange comments since taking over at Florida.

Sometimes you just get a gut feeling that a guy isn't cut out for the SEC. I had that feeling about Butch Jones early. I felt it with Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State and Chad Morris at Arkansas. I get that same vibe with Napier, too.

Maybe I'll be wrong. Again, it's too early to know for sure. But this guy is saying all the wrong things. Florida fans are defending him for now. But if the 2023 season is similar to what we've seen so far in 2022, it won't take long for Gators fans to turn on him.

Featured image via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Related Articles