Florida fires Billy Napier before facing Georgia football

Before their matchup with the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (6-1), the Florida Gators underwent a major shakeup. The Gators parted ways with head coach Billy Napier on Sunday after their 23-21 win vs. Mississippi State.

Napier officially ends a tenure that lasted over three years. He finished with a 22-23 record and one bowl win. His Gators squads were never close to reaching the SEC championship, only having one season with a winning record (2023).

After starting last year 4-5, the Gators rattled off four straight wins, including two against ranked opponents (No. 23 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss). A lot of people were excited about the Gators continuing that momentum into next season.

That's not what happened. After a 55-0 win over LIU in Week 1, the Gators lost on a walk-off field goal vs. South Florida 18-16.

That loss meant the Gators started 1-1 with their tough SEC schedule coming up. The Gators lost to LSU 20-10, with quarterback DJ Lagway throwing five interceptions, and then against Miami, the offense generated just 141 total yards and one touchdown.

The Gators were somehow about to upset No. 9 Texas, but after a 34-17 loss to No. 5 Texas A&M, the writing was on the wall. Even with a win vs. Mississippi State, the Gators figured Napier wasn't the right man for the job.

Wide receivers head coach Billy Gonzales will take over as the interim head coach. The Gators get a bye to prepare vs. Georgia, but Gonzales will have his hands full in Jacksonville vs. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Florida owes Napier over $21 million dollars in buyout money. The Gators will be hiring their third coach during the Kirby Smart era.

This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Florida fires head coach before playing the Georgia Bulldogs