The Florida football program is currently facing challenges that have not been seen in Gainesville in nearly 80 years. Despite inheriting a team with limited resources from his predecessor and facing tough schedules, much of the blame is being placed on current head coach Billy Napier.
CBS Sports writer Will Backus ranked Napier as the 13th head coach in the Southeastern Conference, noting the team’s struggles under his leadership. The Gators are 11-14 with six SEC wins in two years under Napier, with Backus pointing out that the team has not shown significant improvement.
Heading into the 2024 season, Napier is ranked 47th overall among college football head coaches. Last year, he was ranked 11th among SEC coaches but has since dropped two spots due to new additions to the conference.
In contrast, the top 10 SEC coaches according to Backus are led by Kirby Smart of Georgia, followed by Brian Kelly of LSU and Steve Sarkisian of Texas. The rankings also include coaches from teams like Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.
The Gators are set to open their 2024 season against the Miami Hurricanes on August 31 in Gainesville. The game will be broadcast on ABC Sports at 3:30 p.m. ET. For ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news and updates, follow @GatorsWire on X and like their page on Facebook