For several years, Gainesville native Tom Petty’s classic hit, “Don’t Back Down,” squealed speakers at the University of Florida’s Benhill Griffin Stadium as a rally anthem for players, coaches and fans before the football game entered the fourth quarter. A more appropriate song this past weekend would have been a hit by Bruce Springsteen.
The fourth year of Gainesville’s Billy Napier Project began not only with faint hope, but with extensive hope that the Gators will return to College Football Upper Echelon. Optimism filled the air not only across northern Florida, but across Sunshine State and “Gator Nation,” as many college football analysts chose the Gators as their early favourite for the 2025 College Football Playoffs. Long Island University (LIU)’s 55-0 shutout in the season opener didn’t give his highly favorite Gators fans any reason to fear upset by an unranked opponent that the Gators were constantly defeated. Still, we don’t get much insight from Liu’s victory over the program, which has competed at the NCAA Division 1 level for less than a decade.
For casual observers, the Gators’ game against the University of South Florida (USF) was a typical early season match against inferior enemies that served as a glorious scrimmage or an unofficial exhibition game. When the dust settled, USF left Gainesville with more than a moral victory. The Bulls defeated their brother and on the way they made lunch money into a half-million dollar song.
As Gator fans escaped the stadium, they could hear the improvised chant familiar to the mezzanines and the whole funnel: “Firebilly” [Five claps] “Billy of Fire” echoed throughout social media. The demand for Napier’s firing spread like a wildfire among loyal fans of the once proud programme led by iconic names such as Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and dozens of players who enjoyed success at the highest levels of the NFL.
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Given Florida’s relatively recent history of success, it’s easy to sympathize with the rumours of an angry fanbase. One of the key factors that prevent a simple exit from Napier is the most common.
If UF athletic director Scott Stricklin fires Billy Napier by the end of the 2025 season, his acquisition will be based on 85% of the remaining value of his contract. Napier signed a seven-year, $51.8 million contract in late 2021. This is valid until January 2029. From 2026 to January 2029, he still owes about $22.8 million. The acquisition clause provides that Napier will receive 85% of the remaining compensation, which is equivalent to $19.38 million. This may not sound too difficult on the surface, but 50% of that must be paid within 30 days of the end. The remaining 50% will begin every year from July 15th in 2028 and be distributed in equal installments (12.5% each year) over the next four years.
With the Napier acquisition, UF is placed in a situation where affordability places top priority on the next coach. There are plenty of headlines that will attract attention when trying to attract names as big as Nick Saban, but they are not necessarily practical. Instead, the Gators can look for rising stars who don’t have enough leverage to demand a larger contract than the top five paid coaches in the country. The current head coach who fits that mold is Alex Goresh, the very man who upset USF with the Gators.
Alex Golesh inherited the USF program, which won just four games in the last three seasons, and was a really low starting point. Despite this, he was able to turn them into a winning team. Goresh has already proven that he can rebuild a struggling program and achieve rapid on-field success, even under much more severe initial conditions than Napier faced when he inherited Dan Mullen’s team, who went to the Bowl Game in the year before Napier’s arrival.
Goresh is already familiar with the inner workings of the Southeastern Conference and the caliber of competition he faces. Early in his career as Tennessee offensive coordinator, he was ranked 108th in the nation and promoted to seventh, shattering multiple school records along the way.
When Golesh took over the Bulls in South Florida in 2023, the program had only won four games over three seasons under his predecessor, Jeff Scott. Under Golesh’s leadership, USF quickly rotated the ship. He qualified for a bowl-friendly bowl in his first season, continuing his momentum with his 2024 Bowl appearances and record-breaking performances.
This weekend could prove to be Goresh’s ultimate selling point. USF will be moved to Hard Rock Stadium to take on the Miami Hurricane. Meanwhile, Napier and the Gators need a victory over LSU to keep the season slipping away. Only time can tell if Napier can straighten the ship before it sinks.
