Speculation continues to mount that Billy Napier is a short-timer
- Franz Beard
- Sep 15, 2025
- 6 min read
When he was the head basketball coach at the University of Texas, the late great Abe Lemons opened his Sunday morning coach’s show on television throughout the state by emerging from a coffin. There was rampant speculation that Lemons was about to be fired.
“We ain’t dead yet,” Lemons said as he sat up in the coffin. He lasted two more seasons before he was fired.
At Texas the expectations were through the roof for the coach who once had his Oklahoma City team play a shirts and skins scrimmage at halftime of an NIT game in Madison Square Garden. After a game in which Rice coach Mike Shuler made 99 substitutions, Abe said, “All they need are a few clowns to make a circus.”
Abe was funny but what they wanted at Texas was wins. Abe Lemons’ sense of humor bought him time but sooner or later the laughs wouldn’t work anymore and Texas fired him.
That was more than 40 years ago. Fast forward to the here and now and change sports. It’s football at Florida where expectations are through the roof for Billy Napier. Billy is 1-2 and No. 4 Miami is next on a Florida schedule that can only be described as brutal. Billy didn’t make the SEC schedule, which, for the second straight year, is probably the toughest in the country. An easier schedule and maybe the Gators would be winning games.
But, you have to show up and play whoever is on the schedule, and winning is a requirement, particularly when your monthly paycheck is upwards of $600,000. Florida fans expect championships. They don’t mind paying $1 million a win as long as you’re winning.
Billy isn’t winning. And he isn’t funny. He isn’t paid to be funny but if he were maybe perceptions would be a little bit different. He’s a nice guy and players love him because they know he cares for them, but why won’t those same players win for him?
Someone on X pointed out that if the Gators were to go on a 28-game winning streak, Billy’s winning percentage would be equal to that of Dan Mullen. Mullen was fired with a 34-15 record. Billy is 20-21, which is why buzzards are circling the Heavener Center.
Associated Press Top 25: 1. Ohio State 3-0; 2. Penn State 3-0; 3. LSU 3-0; 4. Miami 3-0; 5. Georgia 3-0; 6. Oregon 3-0; 7. Florida State 2-0; 8. Texas 2-1; 9. Illinois 3-0; 10. Texas A&M 3-0; 11. Oklahoma 3-0; 12. Iowa State 4-0; 13. Ole Miss 3-0; 14. Alabama 2-1; 15. Tennessee 2-1; 16. Utah 3-0; 17. Texas Tech 3-0; 18. Georgia Tech 3-0; 19. Indiana 3-0; 20. Vanderbilt 3-0; 21. Michigan 2-1; 22. Auburn 3-0; 23. Missouri 3-0; 24. Notre Dame 0-2; 25. Southern California 3-0
AFCA Coaches Top 25: 1. Ohio State 3-0; 2. Penn State 3-0; 3. Georgia 3-0; 4. LSU 3-0; 5. Oregon 3-0; 6. Miami 3-0; 7. Texas 2-1; 8. Illinois 3-0; 9. Florida State 2-0; 10. Texas A&M 3-0; 11. Ole Miss 3-0; 12. Oklahoma 3-0; 13. Iowa State 4-0; 14. Alabama 2-1; 15. Tennessee 2-1; 16. Texas Tech 3-0; 17. Indiana 3-0; 18. Utah 3-0; 19. Georgia Tech 3-0; 20. Michigan 2-1; 21. Notre Dame 0-2; 22. Missouri 3-0; 23. Vanderbilt 3-0; 24. South Carolina 2-1; 25. Auburn 3-0
COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY GETS UNDER WAY WITH A BANG
Extinct Species List
Deshaun Foster, UCLA: It took only 15 games for UCLA to decide it had made a mistake. That and paying a boatload of money for Nico Iamaleava. Folks are wishing he had stayed at Tennessee now. High on the list is Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi.
Brent Pry, Virginia Tech: The Hokies have been pathetic this season and it’s not going to get any better. Top of the list names for the job are Shane Beamer, son of the legendary VaTech coach, and Michael Vick, Tech alum who is the first year coach at Norfolk State. Who wants the job badly? Jimbo Fisher. He would be the smart hire.
ON LIFE SUPPORT
Billy Napier, Florida: Word is that he’s dead man walking.
David Braun, Northwestern: If he loses either of the next two (UCLA, Louisiana-Monroe) he probably gets the axe.
Deion Sanders, Colorado: Now that his kids have graduated the fan base has lost plenty of patience.
Joe Moorhead, Akron: Outstanding play caller for teams with talent, not such a good head coach especially at a place that isn’t going to land talent.
Trent Bray, Oregon State: The Beavers are 0-3, 1-9 in their last 10.
ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST
Mark Stoops, Kentucky: That 10-3 record in 2021 spoiled Wildcat fans.
Sam Pittman, Arkansas: The Hogs have enough offense to win in shootout fashion. Can they get to seven wins?
Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee: Great defensive coordinator. Not such a good head coach.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: Four of the next five games are in Stillwater, so Gundy has a chance to calm the masses after absorbing a 66-3 shellacking by Oregon a couple of weeks ago.
Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati: The Bearcats are currently 2-1 but until Saturday they haven’t played a Big 12 game. Now he can start to sweat.
Gerad Parker, Troy: It wasn’t that long ago that Joe Sumrall was winning big. Another losing season and Parker is likely gone.
SEC FOOTBALL
No. 14 Alabama (2-1): Ty Simpson has completed 64-79 passes for 862 yards (9.7 per attempt) with nine touchdowns and zero picks. In the last two games, Simpson is 41-46 for 608 yards and seven touchdowns.
Arkansas (2-1, 0-1 SEC): The Razorbacks are fifth in the nation in total offense (569.3 yards per game). They can move the ball and put points on the scoreboard, but the defense was exposed against Ole Miss, which torched them for 475 yards and 41 points. Saturday: at Memphis (3-0)
No. 22 Auburn (3-0): Quarterback Jackson Arnold returns to Oklahoma Saturday. Arnold started 10 games as a redshirt freshman for the Sooners last year. At Auburn, he has thrown for four touchdowns and run for four more. Saturday: at No. 11 Oklahoma (3-0)
No. 5 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Southern Cal transfer wide receiver Zachariah Branch has become the favorite target for quarterback Gunner Stockton. Branch has caught 11 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.
Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC): The Wildcats have an open date so quarterback Zach Calzada (shoulder) has time to do some healing. Cutter Boley started and played the entire game in the win over Eastern Michigan.
No. 3 LSU (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Four games into the season and the Tigers have yet to gain at least 400 yards in a game. They were held to a season low 316 yards but still beat Florida 20-10. LSU is averaging 345.7 yards and only 20 points per game. Saturday: Southeastern Louisiana (2-1)
Mississippi State (3-0): Bulldog fans are giddy. They’re about to go 4-0. If they can figure out how to get to six games they might have a tractorcade to Birmingham for the bowl game against a nobody. Saturday: Northern Illinois (1-1)
No. 23 Missouri (3-0): Eli Drinkwitz has his QB in Beau Pribula, a stud running back in Ahmad Hardy (462 yards, 8 touchdowns) and a nasty defense (No. 5 nationally, 200.7 yards per game). The Tigers are evolving into the team nobody in the SEC wants to play. Saturday: South Carolina (2-1, 0-1 SEC)
No. 11 Oklahoma (3-0): For all the talk about quarterback John Mateer, the Oklahoma defense is a force. The Sooners have the top defense in the SEC and No. 4 nationally, giving up just 181 yards and 6.3 points per game. Saturday: No. 22 Auburn (3-0)
No. 13 Ole Miss (3-0, 2-0 SEC): Austin Simmons (ankle) couldn’t answer the bell against Arkansas. No problem. Trinidad Chambers, who led Ferris State to the Division II national title a year ago, made his first SEC start, completing 21-29 passes for 353 yards and a touchdown while running for 62 more yards and two touchdowns. Saturday: Tulane (3-0)
South Carolina (2-1, 0-1 SEC): Quarterback LaNorris Sellers will be evaluated Tuesday to see if he is fit to play against Missouri. Sellers suffered a concussion that was the result of targeting. He’s under protocol until Tuesday morning. Saturday: at No. 23 Missouri (3-0)
No. 15 Tennessee (2-1, 0-1 SEC): Chris Brazzell II has emerged as one of the better deep threats in the SEC. He has 20 catches for 364 yards and five touchdowns. In the loss to Georgia, Brazzell caught six passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Saturday: UAB (2-1)
No. 8 Texas (2-1): Even with a pair of cupcake opponents the last two weeks the Longhorns haven’t been able to get the offense untracked. The Longhorns rank 14th in offense in the SEC at 382.7 yards per game. Saturday: Sam Houston (0-3)
No. 10 Texas A&M (3-0): Notre Dame had no way to handle wide receiver Mario Carver, who caught seven passes for 207 yads and a touchdown. Through three games, the Aggie receiver has caught 20 passes for 443 yards and four touchdowns.
No. 20 Vanderbilt (3-0, 1-0 SEC):Led by Sedrick Alexander (193 yards, three touchdowns), the Commodores are averaging 203 rushing yards per game, Opponents are only gaining 82.67 yards on the ground. Saturday: Georgia State (1-
Billy has made his bed , now he about to lay in it !!!!!!!!
Refusal to play back ups at QB, in ability to call plays and
take advantage of top receivers who sit on the bench and
wait, while he runs A tight end in their place !
Not using top running backs enough, talking Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda !
I'm pass ready for him to be gone, to the point where I don't want to hear
his excuses any more !
I see no way for Billy to survive- his 12 play playbook is well known by our opponents and his outright refusal to give up the play calling is sealing his coffin- the only time table is when it will happen- my first thought is the off week prior to jawja- but SS could wait until the season is over- which with the portal issue would probably make the lost sense- but rest assured Billy is done.
Bye week starts at midnight Sunday. Speculation only intensifies at such a break in the football schedule. Despite incredible resources, multiple sell-outs — even in sweltering north Florida Septembers, and strong support from his AD and just former UF president, Billy Napier has failed. Gator Nation is talking much more now about who might be our next coach. Meantime, no one should feel sorry for the man who will be paid about $20 million to walk. Billy has had an opportunity few receive. Will he be gone by next Monday or last into October?