CFB Insiders: Florida Job Not 'as Attractive' as Ole Miss, Missouri amid Struggles

As speculation about Billy Napier's future as Florida's head coach continues to get louder, the Gators may have trouble landing a big-name replacement if they decide to make a change.

On Saturday's episode of Big Noon Kickoff, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and Fox Sports reported the feeling among people around college football think Florida "may not be as attractive of a job" compared to programs like Ole Miss and Missouri right now due to the program's ongoing struggles.

The overwhelming sentiment is that Napier's firing is a matter of when, not if. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Tuesday "no one" expects the 45-year-old will be coaching the Gators in 2025.

Thamel did note that depending on the timing of a move, Florida could be on the hook for around $27 million between Napier's salary and buyout.

It's been a struggle for the program to find a head coach really ever since Urban Meyer left after the 2010 season. The Gators have had seven different people between full-timers and interims coach at least one game for them since the start of 2011.

Florida can flex its financial muscle to appeal to a marquee coach. The program opened an $85 million football training facility in February 2023. There is also an internal belief that it has a top-10 NIL budget in the country, per Thamel.

Napier received a seven-year deal that pays him $7.4 million annually when he was hired by the Gators in December 2021. He was brought in to replace Dan Mullen, who was fired after a 5-6 start to the 2021 season.

There was a lot of enthusiasm for what Napier could do at the time of his hiring. He was coming off an impressive four-year run at Louisiana with a 40-12 record, including three consecutive double-digit win seasons from 2019 to '21.

Napier has been unable to carryover that success to the SEC. He has a 12-16 overall record entering Saturday with seven consecutive losses against FBS opponents dating back to last season.

Florida's lone victory this season was a 45-7 blowout against Samford. Its been outscored 74-37 in losses to Miami and Texas A&M.