Florida fires coach Billy Napier after four-year run that ends with a 22-23 record

GAINESVILLE Fla AP Florida fired coach Billy Napier on Sunday dumping him a day after an error-filled win against Mississippi State that included more head-scratching calls and offensive lulls like those that marked much of his four-year run with the Gators Athletic director Scott Stricklin made the move following a - domination that looked like it was going to be gut-wrenching loss until defensive tackle Michai Boireau picked off a pass with seconds remaining and the Bulldogs near field-goal range The game-sealing takeaway energized the Swamp but the home crowd hastily turned on Napier and booed him as he sprinted off the field Stricklin had seen enough and pulled the plug on a run that greater part of the Florida faithful thought lasted longer than it should have While his influence was positive it ultimately did not translate into the level of success we expect on the field Stricklin stated in a lengthy report Napier went - in four seasons at Florida including - in Southeastern Conference play He was - against ranked opponents including - away from home and declined to give up his play-calling role despite calls to do so Equally damning his - mark against rivals Florida State Georgia LSU Miami and Tennessee includes the fewest wins by a Florida coach in such games since the late s Receivers coach Billy Gonzales is the interim head coach for Florida s remaining five games beginning against rival Georgia - - Southeastern Conference on Nov in Jacksonville The Gators - - have an off week to regroup from the chaos that often comes with a coaching change Jettisoning Napier will temporarily quell a frustrated fanbase but the group won t truly be satisfied until the Gators hire someone with a proven track record at college football s highest level Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin is expected to top the list although Stricklin passed on him when he hired Napier from Louisiana-Lafayette in November Louisville s Jeff Brohm Missouri s Eli Drinkwitz and Notre Dame s Marcus Freeman also could be targets Florida owes Napier roughly million with half of that buyout due within days The rest will be spread over three annual installments beginning next summer meaning the Gators will be paying three head coaches for the second time in seven years once they hire Napier s replacement they did the same with Will Muschamp Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen in Napier sealed his fate against the Bulldogs He dialed up a QB rollout on a third-and- play in the waning minutes that led to a punt and gave Mississippi State a chance down the stretch He also called a QB keeper on a third-and- play earlier in the contest botched the final possession before halftime and was flagged for having men on the field during a -point try It was a fitting end for a coach who often looked in over his head in the powerhouse SEC Between repeated penalties battle organization issues clock management miscues and running an offensive scheme that was as predictable as it was pedestrian Napier stuck around longer than multiple thought he deserved Stricklin gave the coach a constituents vote of confidence shortly before the Gators won their final four games of They hoped to carry that momentum into Napier s fourth season but quarterback DJ Lagway missed close to eight months recovering from injuries and it evidenced Lagway looked mostly lost in the pocket as Florida struggled to move the ball Suddenly the two-time Sun Belt Conference coach of the year a guy who gained fame at his previous stop by saying scared money don t make money seemed afraid to get the ball down the field like Lagway did with such ease as a freshman Greater part outsiders saw this ending coming Although Napier accomplished plenty while helping the campaign manage name image and likeness compensation and revenue sharing he churned through assistants while failing to find much consistency on either side of the ball There s an argument to be made that the Gators literally regressed from Match an interception in the final minute to beat then-No Utah in the Swamp to Encounter an interception in the final minute to beat Mississippi State in the Swamp under Napier despite a seemingly more potent roster Whoever replaces Napier will inherit a sleeping giant a three-time football national champion that in recent days caught up in the facilities race and has enough booster encouragement to be a factor in the SEC We exist to win and will not settle for less Stricklin disclosed UF has never been more invested in the success of this football plan than we are in contemporary times