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Florida football legend Emmitt Smith isn't holding back — he knows the team is off to a rough start and head coach Billy Napier's future is in clear doubt.
The Gators are off to a 1-2 start, fresh off home losses to their in-state rival Miami and most recently SEC rival Texas A&M. The Gators lost 33-20 to the Aggies, with the score not illustrating how much of a blowout the game really was. Florida trailed 33-7 late in the third quarter before mustering two touchdowns to make the score look respectable.
Following the loss, many believe Napier's firing with the Gators is inevitable, with Florida boosters prepared to cover Napier's buyout — which would cost $26 million. Napier has registered back-to-back losing seasons during his first two years in Gainesville and is 9-16 against FBS opponents.
Smith says it bluntly — the Gators need to get on a winning streak if Napier wants to save his job, during an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints.
“All I know is there were a lot of disappointed Florida Gators fans over the weekend and they have been disappointed since the Miami game (season opener),” says Smith in a one-on-one interview on behalf of Depend, which is donating $300,000 to help with research around prostate cancer. “And that disappointment spilled over on Sunday. This week's games, we go on the road, this is a big week. It's only so many more losses that I believe the alumni group can muster. There's a lot of high expectations for us to get it turned around fairly quickly. I think we need to get on a winning streak if Billy Napier wants to maintain his job.”
Florida fighting for Billy Napier's job
Outside of their loss to the Aggies in Gainesville, the Gators were also dominated by the Hurricanes at home in the season opener at the end of August. Florida lost 41-17 and never led during the game. Before leaving the game due to injury at the end of the third quarter, Graham Mertz completed just 11-of-20 passes for 91 yards and an interception during the loss.
The Gators' lone victory so far this season has been over the FCS Samford Bulldogs. In other words, it's been the definition of a disastrous start to the season for a program that hasn't had a winning season since 2020 and for a team that hasn't won a bowl game since the 2019 season.
Smith doubles down on Napier's shaky job tenure, saying that he doesn't see the alumni being much more patient with the Gators' lack of competitiveness.
Napier is signed through the 2028 season, initially signing a $51.8 million deal at the end of the 2021 season. The University of Florida would owe 50% of his buyout within 30 days of his firing, as Carter Bahns of 247 Sports mentions,
Although there have been big names connected to the Gators program if Napier is fired — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is one of those names — Smith isn't ready to make a prediction on who will replace the 45-year-old head coach.
“Who that's with, I have no clue,” says Smith when on the topic of if the Gators fire Napier.
The Gators are favored on the road when they take on the 1-2 Mississippi State Bulldogs. If they defeat the Bulldogs, that'll secure Napier's job for the time being. But if they lose to a lowly SEC rival, this could be Napier's last week at the helm.
