POLL: Thoughts on the Billy Napier hire

[Dannygator1989]

I agree with all of this. A lot of folks don’t realize he took over from Hudspeth and the program got put on probation and then he reeled off the records that you just said 7-7 and then 3 10 win seasons in a row. His recruiting was as followed:


Sunbelt class ranking
2018- 5th (not technically Billy first class)
2019- 1st
2020 – 1st
2021 – 1st

To your point he needs to come in and be a CEO and run the program from the bottom up, recruit very good (which I think he will) & hire good assistant coaches.

That's why the "he's never even signed a 4 star at Louisiana" is a bad argument.

Chris Petersen built that Boise State program on 3 stars and beat Oklahoma (I'm sure he got a handful of 4 stars in his career there but if I recall at his peak of impressing people he hadn't had anyone hire than a 3 star).

tough to recruit a LA 4 star to go to Lafayette.

Ive been there many times. It's 3 hours away from anything. And in between is nothing but sugar cane fields, bad reception, and random dead river otters bloated on the side of the road.

Tough sell.

 

[ocalaman]

The truth is that none of us really knows how this is going to work out. Muschamp was thought to be the best hire in the nation when we signed him. Coach in waiting at Texas, best DC in the nation. Turns out ole Will just wasn't ready to be the CEO of a major football program. But who knew? We all were sure Dan Mullen would get us back to the winning ways of Spurrier & Meyer. But his quirkiness, arrogance, mediocre recruiting, bad decision-making, whatever it was, just didn't cut it. We all hope Napier is the guy because I think everybody agrees that we will never become a consistent challenger for an SEC title by changing coaches every 3-4 years.

 

[PacoGator19]

5 takeaways from Billy Napier’s first remarks since taking Florida Gators job

Florida coach Billy Napier wore a camouflage Louisiana hoodie Monday as he straddled his dual responsibilities as the incoming leader of the Gators and the outgoing architect of a Ragin’ Cajuns team that hosts Saturday’s Sun Belt Conference championship game. Here are five takeaways from...

money.yahoo.com

 

[Nicktheslick]

That's the point I'm trying to make. Urban didn't leave Bowling Green and come to Florida. He went to Utah. Napier has no idea what he's about to get into. You need to cut your teeth on a Utah job before you jump into shark tank. If Florida was a different school that would be one thing but this job destroys coaches. Coaches that have way more experience. Im just not buying into all the hype.

You don’t think he was under pressure at Bama? Under Saban?

 

[Nicktheslick]

This is what I'm trying to say. Florida and LSU should be on the same level. Fair? If Napier was so good he would have never left the state of Louisiana. LSU didn't want him. Florida was not fighting LSU for Napier they were fighting Virginia Tech! Florida should be fighting LSU for coaches. That's a warning sighn to me that the programs expectations ain't where they used to be. That's when things start to slide. When Miami started settling on not chasing the premiere coaches they looked up 20 years later and wondered how they got there.

Who would want to get in the middle of the mess in Baton Rouge (Kelly I guess) With all the investigations going on. I think it’s more he didn’t want them than the other way around.

 

[LizardGrad89]

The more I read the less I like it. This job has absolutely chewed up and spit out the last three coaches and anybody that's confident a sunbelt coach is coming in here and going wreck havoc at Florida in the SEC thats wishful thinking. I know Mullens recruiting was a disaster but this feels like a step down. Ain't no way I would have pushed all my chips into the middle of the table on a sunbelt coach after what's happened to last three coaches here. But I can tell you who is really happy with it is Kirby and Nick!

See, when you start talking about Dan Mullens, everything else you say becomes invalid.

Edit: Rereading, maybe you just forgot the apostrophe. Carry on.

 

[LizardGrad89]

It ain't the SEC that's chewed up and spit out the coaches imo.

It's the Socialist-U BLM Admin, the interfering moneyed Alumni being backseat driver coaches that always want their say, but never take any responsibility for when they 'screw the pooch,' along with the overly entitled fans that are killing the football program.

JMOHO, so others can scream and whine about me or anything else, but it won't matter until and unless things change here, so yawl have at it....

As has been pointed out multiple times, the UF admin loves them some Desantis. Why you insist on this fantasy that UF has a liberal administration, I just don't know. Dementia, perhaps.

But it is certainly evident you are EXTREMELY butt-hurt over being so massively, incredibly, comprehensively wrong about Grantham, and by extension, Mullen. It's ok old man, eat some crow, admit you're an idiot, and move on.

 

[Michi_Gator]

5 takeaways from Billy Napier’s first remarks since taking Florida Gators job

Florida coach Billy Napier wore a camouflage Louisiana hoodie Monday as he straddled his dual responsibilities as the incoming leader of the Gators and the outgoing architect of a Ragin’ Cajuns team that hosts Saturday’s Sun Belt Conference championship game. Here are five takeaways from...

money.yahoo.com

You have to admit if he calls his own plays and doesn’t get help with his offense, which from my reading, isn’t SEC ready he is inviting trouble. No way he is a better play caller than Mullen and we see how that worked out. He needs to ‘cruit and hire great assistants.

 

[PacoGator19]

You have to admit if he calls his own plays and doesn’t get help with his offense, which from my reading, isn’t SEC ready he is inviting trouble. No way he is a better play caller than Mullen and we see how that worked out. He needs to ‘cruit and hire great assistants.

Mullen didn’t get fired because of the offense or lack thereof. Napier doesn’t have to have as good of an offense as Mullen. Mullen got fired due to terrible defense, poor recruiting, average staff & lack of discipline/accountability.
I said it even before Napier got hired that I would like to see him bring in a good OC. However, his 2019 & 2020 offenses were pretty good. This years it is just so so but he did lose some players to the draft and some coaches as well (Rob Sale to the NFL), but even with a so so offense he’s still managed to win 11 games this year. We don’t have to be really good on offense to win games but I do expect him to accumulate better talent than Mullen as well. Napier didn’t get hired for his X’s and O’s. He got hired for his ability to lead, be a CEO & ran/build a program & recruit. I expect recruiting to pick up substantially from the Mullen regime. After that it is anybody’s guess how he does.

 

[Michi_Gator]

Mullen didn’t get fired because of the offense or lack thereof. Napier doesn’t have to have as good of an offense as Mullen. Mullen got fired due to terrible defense, poor recruiting, average staff & lack of discipline/accountability.
I said it even before Napier got hired that I would like to see him bring in a good OC. However, his 2019 & 2020 offenses were pretty good. This years it is just so so but he did lose some players to the draft and some coaches as well (Rob Sale to the NFL), but even with a so so offense he’s still managed to win 11 games this year. We don’t have to be really good on offense to win games but I do expect him to accumulate better talent than Mullen as well. Napier didn’t get hired for his X’s and O’s. He got hired for his ability to lead, be a CEO & ran/build a program & recruit. I expect recruiting to pick up substantially from the Mullen regime. After that it is anybody’s guess how he does.

But he ain’t in the SunBelt anymore. SEC Dcs will eat up his lack of innovation offense. This is where others are righr about the jump. Different gamw

 

[PacoGator19]

But he ain’t in the SunBelt anymore. SEC Dcs will eat up his lack of innovation offense. This is where others are righr about the jump. Different gamw

What I have seen from his offense it has been creative. He does use lots of motions & shifts and RPOs and he runs a lot of “pistol” (which I like). It is run heavy. He may just be an average play caller but from what I have seen from his offense I don’t have an issue with the scheme. This is where an experienced and good X’s and O’s OC could help.

 

[ocalaman]

Billy Napier's Wife Ali is the New First Lady of Florida Football

The Dan Mullen era at Florida is over. One year removed from taking Alabama to the wire in the SEC Championship Game and having a Heisman Trophy finalist in Kyle Trask, Mullen's 2021 performance was downright sad. The Gators lost to SEC foes they normally handle with ease, and Mullen lost...

fanbuzz.com

 

[BillytheC]

All in

 

[Nicktheslick]

All in

 

[GatorTheo]

I really didn't have time to think about it. That was a pleasant experience.

Who knows how he will work out? Seems like a solid choice but it's always a roll of the dice.

 

[LizardGrad89]

I'm just glad his last name doesn't start with M.

 

[PacoGator19]

I'm just glad his last name doesn't start with M.

That is a positive right there. In fact his first name is Billy. We did pretty good with the last Billy we hired at UF! 😎

 

[Nicktheslick]

I'm just glad his last name doesn't start with M.

Kinda like bammer with their run of Mike’s. Dubose, Shula and Price.

 

[AnonymousAngler]

Very meh.

And if reports of Brian Kelly reaching out to us & subsequently being told we're not interested are at all accurate it's that much worse, IMO. You don't turn away a tier 1/tier 2 top notch proven winner, who's won at every level & stop he's made, for a crap shoot tier 3 guy like Napier. You just don't. In fact, it's such a ludicrous notion that I doubt it's true. Because you don't even have the "great recruiter, program builder' argument over Kelly since he's already proven highly successful at both of those things as well. Borderline negligence, if true.

Anyway, is what it is now & I'll root him on, of course, just hard to swallow with all of the big dogs with openings doing big dog things then here we are settling on a perceived lesser-than. Oh well, here's hoping..

 

[Dannygator1989]

Very meh.

And if reports of Brian Kelly reaching out to us & subsequently being told we're not interested are at all accurate it's that much worse, IMO. You don't turn away a tier 1/tier 2 top notch proven winner, who's won at every level & stop he's made, for a crap shoot tier 3 guy like Napier. You just don't. In fact, it's such a ludicrous notion that I doubt it's true. Because you don't even have the "great recruiter, program builder' argument over Kelly since he's already proven highly successful at both of those things as well. Borderline negligence, if true.

Anyway, is what it is now & I'll root him on, of course, just hard to swallow with all of the big dogs with openings doing big dog things then here we are settling on a perceived lesser-than. Oh well, here's hoping..

A 60 year old Yankee? I mean...Jesus do people not get that fit is important?

 

[AnonymousAngler]

A 60 year old Yankee? I mean...Jesus do people not get that fit is important?

I get it. And agree if there's any drawback it'd be his age, even though he still appears to be going strong as ever if record & recruiting are used as a gauge. I don't really care where he hails from given the best coach in our program's history is also a yank..

 

[fsu939913]

I think he's an upgrade from Mullen off the field but a downgrade from Mullen on the field. Have no idea how good he will be. He was more successful as a head coach than any other position. Fun fact, he worked for fsu for like a week lol then bolted to Bama, think it was fisher era

 

[Countygator1]

Very meh.

And if reports of Brian Kelly reaching out to us & subsequently being told we're not interested are at all accurate it's that much worse, IMO. You don't turn away a tier 1/tier 2 top notch proven winner, who's won at every level & stop he's made, for a crap shoot tier 3 guy like Napier. You just don't. In fact, it's such a ludicrous notion that I doubt it's true. Because you don't even have the "great recruiter, program builder' argument over Kelly since he's already proven highly successful at both of those things as well. Borderline negligence, if true.

Anyway, is what it is now & I'll root him on, of course, just hard to swallow with all of the big dogs with openings doing big dog things then here we are settling on a perceived lesser-than. Oh well, here's hoping..

Notre Dame plays a more non power 5 type schedule. Kelly has done well against that.

 

[ChiefGene]

After 3 failed hires, show me before I get excited.

What fun is that? 🙄

 

[Nicktheslick]

I get it. And agree if there's any drawback it'd be his age, even though he still appears to be going strong as ever if record & recruiting are used as a gauge. I don't really care where he hails from given the best coach in our program's history is also a yank..

And he’s not a good comedian. His use of co John McKay’s quote about executing his team flopped.

 

[PacoGator19]

Brian Kelly is a good coach but IMO would be a bad fit for UF. I don’t think he’s a good fit for LSU either. But as it has been said multiple times LSU has won natty’s with dud coaches.

 

[gatordad3]

Very meh.

And if reports of Brian Kelly reaching out to us & subsequently being told we're not interested are at all accurate it's that much worse, IMO. You don't turn away a tier 1/tier 2 top notch proven winner, who's won at every level & stop he's made, for a crap shoot tier 3 guy like Napier. You just don't. In fact, it's such a ludicrous notion that I doubt it's true. Because you don't even have the "great recruiter, program builder' argument over Kelly since he's already proven highly successful at both of those things as well. Borderline negligence, if true.

Anyway, is what it is now & I'll root him on, of course, just hard to swallow with all of the big dogs with openings doing big dog things then here we are settling on a perceived lesser-than. Oh well, here's hoping..

If UF were to ever consider Brian Kelly and his 3-8 record against ranked opponents in the top 10 along with his 3-20 record vs top 5 teams, including an 0-5 record against those teams in bowl matchups, we were better off keeping Dan Mullen.
Proven winner?

 

[Michi_Gator]

If UF were to ever consider Brian Kelly and his 3-8 record against ranked opponents in the top 10 along with his 3-20 record vs top 5 teams, including an 0-5 record against those teams in bowl matchups, we were better off keeping Dan Mullen.
Proven winner?

How many ranked opponents has Napier beaten? Playoff appearances?

just saying

Don’t hate our hire but the attempts to downplay Kelly are comical

 

[Nicktheslick]

How many ranked opponents has Napier beaten? Playoff appearances?

just saying

Don’t hate our hire but the attempts to downplay Kelly are comical

He’s not getting the type athlete’s at ULL to beat top 20 teams. That excuse will evaporate at UF. So let’s not compare apples and oranges right now.

 

[AnonymousAngler]

If UF were to ever consider Brian Kelly and his 3-8 record against ranked opponents in the top 10 along with his 3-20 record vs top 5 teams, including an 0-5 record against those teams in bowl matchups, we were better off keeping Dan Mullen.
Proven winner?

Yes, the guy who's stacked W's at literally every stop he's made, including the most recent one while recruiting with a hand tied behind his back, is really just a charlatan that everybody else is wrong about except you & a few others who truly have their fingers on the pulse.

I mean I get it, we're all homers to varying degrees. But some of you dudes lose all logic & reason when discussing this kind of stuff.

Hell, in just the last 48 hrs on the recruiting front alone I've read myriad takes comparing him to Saban & Dabo simply because he's had a hand in pulling some talent to those respective programs. News Flash: Much of that success you can attribute directly to him representing those already highly successful coaches & programs.

And sure, I have no doubt he'll do okay in that realm, we're in a hotbed after all. But when I read things like 'He'S aLReAdy tHe BEsT rEcRUiTeR iN ThE sTAte!' while sooner or later Miami will likely have either Mario or Kiffin & the guy in Tally is absolutely crushing it relative to his W/L total & which I imagine will get even better as he turns things around, it's hard to take some of y'alls objectivity seriously..

 

[Michi_Gator]

He’s not getting the type athlete’s at ULL to beat top 20 teams. That excuse will evaporate at UF. So let’s not compare apples and oranges right now.

All I am saying is the bashing Kelly seems more of an insecurity thing.

Kelly built a nobody D2 program to win multuple national titles. Won in the MAC and got G5 Cincy to a BCS Bowl game. Also been to a playoff.

While I have zero issue with the Napier hiring, its comical fans want to act like we hired Saban and LSU hired McElwain.

 

[PacoGator19]

He was named 2021 Sun Belt Coach of the year today. His 2nd time getting that award.

They asked Saban about Napier today “He was a very good coach; he was a good recruiter; he had great relationships with the players; he was a great teacher on the field,” Saban said during a videoconference ahead of Saturday’s SEC title game with Georgia. “Hard worker, great character, great personality, very, very good family.”
On Thursday, the Sun Belt named him Coach of the Year for the second time. “No surprise to me,” Saban said. “He’s a very well-organized guy and does due diligence before he makes any decision about anything. Very calculated in terms of how he tries to do them in a very positive way for his organization.“So, not a surprise to me he did really, really well when he got a head coaching job. He’ll continue to do well.”

 

[Michi_Gator]

He was named 2021 Sun Belt Coach of the year today. His 2nd time getting that award.

They asked Saban about Napier today “He was a very good coach; he was a good recruiter; he had great relationships with the players; he was a great teacher on the field,” Saban said during a videoconference ahead of Saturday’s SEC title game with Georgia. “Hard worker, great character, great personality, very, very good family.”
On Thursday, the Sun Belt named him Coach of the Year for the second time. “No surprise to me,” Saban said. “He’s a very well-organized guy and does due diligence before he makes any decision about anything. Very calculated in terms of how he tries to do them in a very positive way for his organization.“So, not a surprise to me he did really, really well when he got a head coaching job. He’ll continue to do well.”

I think this is what a lot of people feel good about.

I think there are two questions:

1. Does he find it tougher to recruit when not saying “come play for Saban”? Early signs seem to indicate that won’t be an issue.

2. The major concern, his offense. Its Mac’s offense. Its the pre-Lane Bama offense. Will he hire a more innovative offensive play caller when he realizes he needs more? IMO, that will determine his success, because another no-tempo, Mac offense is the LAST thing UF needs

 

[BayouGator1995]

I think this is what a lot of people feel good about.

I think there are two questions:

1. Does he find it tougher to recruit when not seeing “come play for Saban”? Early signs seem to indicate that won’t be an issue.

2. The major concern, his offense. Its Mac’s offense. Its the pre-Lane Bama offense. Will he hire a more innovative offensive play caller when he realizes he needs more? IMO, that will determine his success, because another no-tempo, Mac offense is the LAST thing UF needs

Agree on all points there. Napier's offenses averaged around 31-33 ppg these last two years. Being that UF's bread\butter is high scoring, up-tempo offense I can see our new HC getting someone who's hungry enough to unleash such a wide open scheme as such. Almost west coast like.

 

[Dannygator1989]

Agree on all points there. Napier's offenses averaged around 31-33 ppg these last two years. Being that UF's bread\butter is high scoring, up-tempo offense I can see our new HC getting someone who's hungry enough to unleash such a wide open scheme as such. Almost west coast like.

I mean Spurrier's offense was basically the west coast.

And don't get me wrong, I like it....odd to me almost that all these Sean McVay types that are "offensive geniuses" in the NFL are also using an updated west coast

 

[gatordad3]

And he’s not a good comedian. His use of co John McKay’s quote about executing his team flopped.

This is embarrassing

 

[Nicktheslick]

This is embarrassing

View embedded media

Incredible. Is he mocking southerners?

 

[PacoGator19]

Kelly is a good coach but it just doesn’t feel like a good fit at all with him and LSU.

 

[Nicktheslick]

Kelly is a good coach but it just doesn’t feel like a good fit at all with him and LSU.

It’s definitely going to be an uneasy marriage.

 

[TEBOW TIME]

He needs to do some kick A$$ recruiting in the next 2 weeks cause we are down to 44th on rivals sight.