By Richard Pereira
Copyright newsweek
Paul Finebaum did not have a positive outlook on Billy Napier’s head coaching future with the Florida Gators.The Gators are off to a poor start this season. They shut out Long Island 55-0 in the season opener at home, but went on to lose 18-16 to the USF Bulls and fell 20-10 to the No. 3 LSU Tigers these past two weekends.The loss to the Bulls was a stunner. Despite being the massive favorites at home, they were unable to control the momentum as USF took advantage of Florida’s mistakes throughout the game. That loss leaked into their display against LSU, only scoring 10 points against one of the national contenders.More news: Ohio State’s Ryan Day Reveals Major News Regarding Quarterback CompetitionFinebaum talked about Napier and the Gators’ struggles during a Sept. 15 appearance on the Matt Barrie Show. He says Napier can’t recover from the team’s poor start, especially when looking at the next three games ahead against the Miami Hurricanes, Texas Longhorns, and Texas A&M Aggies.”They’re one game into the four-game schedule that many thought would undo them. The schedule reads Miami next week, Texas after a bye week, and at Texas A&M. Texas now looks like the easiest of those four and they’re already one down after dropping the USF game,” Finebaum said at the 2:29 mark.”Their path is very challenged and I mean I’m not going to sugar coat it on your podcast here. Billy Napier is not coming back next year. I don’t see a path for him.”It’s a bold prediction for Finebaum to make about Napier. But considering the coach’s inconsistencies with Florida so far, it would be plausible to see his future with the program being at risk. At the moment, his record against SEC opponents is at 10-15, showing how his results have left a lot for supporters to desire.Despite Florida having recognition as a college powerhouse, Napier has yet to post a 10-win season throughout his stint. His best performance was in 2024 when they finished 8-5, ending the campaign with a 33-8 win over the Tulane Green Wave in the Gasparilla Bowl.More news: Oregon Ducks Freshman Phenom Suffers Gruesome Season-Ending InjuryThis season, the Gators are averaging 27 points while conceding 12.7 points per game. But removing the win over Long Island, they are only producing 13 points on offense while giving up 19 points on defense per game. While the defense remains solid, the offense needs to get back on track if the team wishes to have a strong campaign in 2025.This is especially the case for Napier, whose time might be short if things don’t improve as soon as possible.The Gators will prepare for their next matchup, being on the road. They face the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.For more Florida Gators and college football news, check out Newsweek Sports.
