Déjà Vu: Billy Napier Should Have The Same Fate As Jimbo Fisher Following Mississippi State Game
The walls are closing in on Billy Napier amid chaotic times within Gators football program.
There could be one glaring connection between Florida's Billy Napier and former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher after this weekend's game against Mississippi State.
Are we witnessing the final days of Napier running the Gators football program? After compiling a 21-23 overall record in Gainesville, his time could be coming to an end as Mississippi State looms on the schedule this weekend for the annual homecoming game.
It's interesting that this is the opponent Napier faces on Saturday, in a matchup that could mean absolutely nothing in terms of keeping his job. But sometimes in this business, you just have to pull the plug on something that you know is not working, and won't in the future.
On November 11, 2023, Jimbo Fisher walked the sidelines during Texas A&M's showdown with the Bulldogs in College Station. Maybe he knew that the Aggies board of regents had met on that Thursday to discuss his upcoming ouster as the head coach, though Fisher contends that he was blindsided by the move that followed.
Also, and I know Florida fans remember, Ron Zook was fired in 2004 following a 38-31 loss to Mississippi State in October, but did coach the Gators through the season.
After defeating Florida State in his final game, Zook was carried off the field on the shoulders of players in a celebratory moment.
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After destroying Mississippi State 51-10 on that Saturday afternoon, moving to 6-4 on the season, one week after a loss to Ole Miss, Jimbo Fisher was fired the following day. The move was the first statement to college football that a massive buyout would not prevent a school from going in a different direction, with the Aggies paying over $76 million to part ways.
It makes the Penn State firing of James Franklin with a buyout of nearly $49 million look like pocket change, which is also helped by mitigation that should lower the payouts.
But, that weekend in College Station set the tone for what could come in the future if schools were ready to move on from a coach that was not providing the results that were needed to compete for a college football playoff spot.
That moment for the Aggies athletic department could end up correlating with what transpires in Gainesville on Saturday, as Florida takes the field for what could be the last time with Billy Napier running the program.
Mississippi State Should Be Final Game For Billy Napier
It just so happens that the Gators face the same opponent that Jimbo Fisher did on that Saturday in 2023.
The difference is that Billy Napier has not once had Florida in contention for a playoff spot, with a football program that has been riding the fence since he arrived in Gainesville. This almost feels like the perfect setup for AD Scott Stricklin to finally make the move that will define Florida's future, with a bye-week to follow before facing Georgia in the annual ‘Cocktail Party.'
What was thought to be a hire that would send Florida in to a new era, contending for championships and wreaking havoc on SEC foes, has turned into a fan base that is on the brink of apathy for such a storied program.
For now, time has run out on Napier in Gainesville, with a 21-23 overall record. Lower-level staffers are sending out feelers to other schools about potential jobs in the future once they are on the market, while there is an obvious tension within the building surrounding their employment status.
A few years ago, Jimbo Fisher was fired following a win over the Bulldogs. Now, this would seemingly be the perfect time for Florida to move on from Billy Napier.
Crazy enough, it just so happens to be that Mississippi State was the opponent. Could we be feeling a sense of Déjà vu this upcoming weekend?
It's time.