Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin met with a handful of influential boosters Tuesday, and was told continuing financial support depends on new direction within the football program, three people with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect the ongoing process, said embattled Florida coach Billy Napier could be fired as soon as this weekend. One thing is certain: Napier won’t survive another loss.
Stricklin declined comment for this story.
This, unlike other speculation about Napier’s job status, is an important and direct connection to last year’s near firing of Napier. It was then that the same Florida boosters were ready to pay Napier’s large buyout, but were held off by Stricklin and convinced to use that money in NIL space to help Napier’s buildout.
The boosters agreed, and the result was a significantly upgraded and talented team. Florida flipped five-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson – the most talented player on the team – from Oregon late in the recruiting process with the infusion of NIL cash.
That money also was used to keep numerous impact players already on the roster from leaving for other schools. The results on the field, however, have been the same.
Napier’s buyout, according to a document obtained by USA TODAY Sports, is approximately $21 million, to be paid in installments: 50% of the money within 30 days of separation, and then equal payments of 12.5% annually over the next four years.
The hope is that Napier, who has a close relationship with a talented roster he built, will finish the season while Florida looks for its fifth coach since Urban Meyer resigned after the 2010 season.
If Napier doesn’t choose to finish the season, the only coach on staff with head coaching experience is defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, who led two programs in the NCAA lower divisions (Delta State, Southeastern Louisiana).
The inevitable end for Napier began last month, when Florida lost at home as an 18-point favorite to Group of Five school South Florida. The Gators have since lost ugly road games to LSU, Miami and Texas A&M, sandwiched around an upset of Texas in Gainesville.
Napier was nearly fired last year when Florida began the season with blowout home losses to Miami and Texas A&M, on the heels two dysfunctional seasons to begin his tenure. It was then that USA TODAY Sports reported a group of Florida boosters were ready to pay Napier’s $28 million buyout.
But Stricklin held firm with Napier, a likable, organized coach who the university desperately wanted to succeed. The Gators then went on a second half run that included wins over LSU and Ole Miss — and Stricklin then convinced boosters to use the potential buyout money on NIL deals to help support player procurement.
The group of boosters, three people told USA Today Sports, agreed, but with one stipulation: that Napier relinquish control of the offense, and hire an experienced coordinator and play caller. He never did.
Napier tried to hire Ole Miss offensive coordinator and play caller Charlie Weis Jr., before the 2024 season, two different people with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. But Weis decided to stay with Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, and Napier never made another serious run at an offensive coordinator.
Now Napier is 21-23 into his fourth season, and has the worst coaching record at Florida since the 1940s. He has lost every way imaginable, and is winless against bitter rival Georgia — with the program falling further behind in the ever-strengthening SEC with each passing week.
Florida still has difficult games remaining against three teams ranked in the Top 11 of the US LBM coaches poll: Georgia (in Jacksonville, Fla.), at Ole Miss and Tennessee in Gainesville.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
Steve Berkowitz, sports projects reporter for USA TODAY Sports Network, contributed to this report.