By Jay Berry
It was a wild Saturday of college football, with Indiana getting stomped at Ohio State and other late-season headlines. No team or coach has had a resurgence like Florida Gators coach Billy Napier.
Coming off a 5-7 2023 season, Napier was on a short leash, and things looked bleak early in the season.
After a 24-point loss to Miami and a two-touchdown loss to Texas A&M just three games into the season, it looked like the University of Florida was going to drain the Napier swamp. They did get throttled 49-17 two weeks ago at No. 3 Texas, but that was with their backup quarterback.
On Saturday, the Gators beat Ole Miss 24–17, putting them at 6–5 with one game left next week against Florida State. While 7–5 is not an excellent season, it’s a two-game improvement from last year, and when healthy, DJ Lagway is a game-changer for them.
No one is happier about this turnaround than the University of Florida administration. With Napier‘s massive buyout, the worst-case scenario would have been him falling flat on his face this season. Fortunately, the Gators recently announced they are sticking with Napier for 2025, signaling their confidence in his ability to lead the program forward.
With Lagway running the offense and an expanded playoff format giving more teams a chance, the U-Haul truck that was once pulling into Gainesville is now firmly parked on the side of the road.
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Kirk Herbstreit even took to X to pose the question: Can a coach with a 7–5 record be coach of the year? While that’s unlikely, it underscores just how remarkable Napier’s turnaround has been. The Gators are trending in the right direction, and for now, Napier has earned himself more time to build a competitive program.
Can a guy with a team that will finish 7-5 win the coach of the year award? He should!!
Billy Napier and @GatorsFB after being 4-5 and losing 2 straight, have beaten LSU and Ole Miss.
So impressive to see this fight from the Gators and their fans after having a tough year. And,…— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 23, 2024
