GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – The University of Florida officially parted ways with football head coach Billy Napier after three and a half seasons on Sunday.
Billy Gonzales was named the interim head coach to lead the team as the university searches for a new coach. Gonzales was an assistant and wide receiver coach for the Gators.
He held the same role from 2005 to 2009 and from 2018 to 2021 for UF. He was also a co-offensive coordinator from 2018-2021 and a recruiting coordinator from 2008-2009.
“I will conduct the search with a high degree of confidentiality to protect the privacy of those involved. The search will focus on the hiring of an elite football coach who will embody the standard we have at the University of Florida, and we will continue to provide all of the necessary resources for that coach, his staff and the players to be successful.”
This news comes a day after Florida defeated Mississippi State 23-21 in its annual homecoming game on Saturday, which made its record 3-4 (2-2 SEC).
UF director of athletics Scott Stricklin reportedly met with boosters during the week to discuss the direction of the football program.
Napier, the 46-year-old native of Cookeville, Tennessee, was 22-23 while at UF, with an SEC record of 10-15. The Gators had just one winning season and bowl win under Napier, which was last season.
Just before the 2025 season, Stricklin received a contract extension, which led many to believe Napier’s job was safe.
Napier is owed $21 million as part of his contract buyout by the university, which stems from 85% of his remaining seven-year $51.8 million contract signed in November 2021. Napier is owed 50% of his buyout within 30 days of being fired.
Napier joins his predecessors, Dan Mullen (49-34), Jim McElwain (34-22), and Will Muschamp (49-28) in being fired by Florida. Muschamp was the SEC coach of the year in 2012, and McElwain was the SEC coach of the year in 2015.
Mullen’s buyout was $12 million, McElwain’s $7.5 million, and Muschamp’s $6.3 million. None of the coaches lasted more than four seasons in Gainesville.
Billy Napier is still the coach of the Florida Gators, which improve to 3-4 on the season after beating Mississippi State (4-3) 23-21 in The Swamp.
The last Gators head coach to not be fired was two-time National Championship-winning coach Urban Meyer, who stepped down in 2010 due to health concerns.
Florida and Stricklin hired Napier on Nov. 28, 2021, following a successful tenure at Louisiana University, where he was 40-12 and a two-time Sun Belt coach of the year (2019, 2021) while leading the Ragin’ Cajuns to two conference championships (2020 shared, 2021).
Before that, Napier was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State (2017), Assistant/Wide receivers coach (2013-2017) and offensive analyst (2011) at Alabama, Assistant/quarterbacks coach at Colorado State (2012), Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2009-2010), Assistant coach/tight ends coach, recruiting (2006-2008) and Graduate assistant (2003-2004) at Clemson, and an Assistant/quarterbacks coach at South Carolina State (2005).
As the head coach of Florida, Napier has turned in four top 20 recruiting classes according to 247Sports, including the No. 7 class in 2024, and the No. 9 class in 2025.
Napier’s firing raises questions about the Gators current roster, such as quarterback DJ Lagway, who backed Napier after a rocky start in 2024, and Florida’s No. 14 2026 recruiting class.
Florida looks to recoup during the bye week before heading to Jacksonville to take on rival No. 9 Georgia.
Full statement from UF Athletics Director Scott Stricklin is posted below:
“Today I met with Coach Napier and informed him that a change in leadership of our football program would best serve the interests of the University of Florida.
On behalf of Gator Nation, I want to sincerely thank Billy and his family for their tireless commitment to the Florida Gators. Billy built a tremendous culture of accountability and growth among the young men he led each day. His organized and detailed approach had a meaningful impact across all levels of our program.
As Coach Napier has often said, this is a results-driven business, and while his influence was positive, it ultimately did not translate into the level of success we expect on the field.
I have named Billy Gonzales as the interim head coach. Coach Gonzales has been a valued member of our program for many years, including being a part of multiple championship teams. He is a Gator through and through. His deep understanding of our culture, our student-athletes, and what it means to represent the University of Florida makes him well-suited to lead our team.
Making this decision during the open date provides our team valuable time to regroup, refocus, and prepare for the challenges ahead. The timing also allows us to conduct a thoughtful, thorough, and well-informed search for our next head coach. We remain fully committed to utilizing every resource available to identify the right leader to guide Gators Football into the future.
I will conduct the search with a high degree of confidentiality to protect the privacy of those involved. The search will focus on the hiring of an elite football coach who will embody the standard we have at the University of Florida, and we will continue to provide all of the necessary resources for that coach, his staff and the players to be successful.
Any time you conduct a head coaching search, especially for a high-profile sport like football or men’s basketball, you learn something. The lessons from past experiences will guide us through the work ahead.
Across the University of Florida, there is an unwavering and uncompromising commitment to being the best in everything we do. This includes our athletic department, as evidenced by the fact UF is the only school in the country to win three national championships in both football and men’s basketball.
The standards and expectations for Gators football are to win championships—not simply to compete. We exist to win, and will not settle for less. UF has never been more invested in the success of this football program – elite facilities, robust NIL opportunities and comprehensive support for our student athletes and staff – than we are today.
The University of Florida is a destination – a place where people come to achieve excellence. With our resources, passionate fan base, and unwavering commitment, we are determined to return Gators football to championship form. I understand and accept the responsibility to deliver a football program that reflects the greatness of this university and I thank Gator Nation for their continued support as we begin this next chapter together.”
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