The Florida Gators national coaching search has been on a wild ride since Billy Napier was fired on Oct. 19.
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Florida linked to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin immediately following the announcement that Napier was no longer in charge. LSU entered the chat after firing Brian Kelly.
Gators fans are hoping that the coaching search ends on Saturday when Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter makes his much-hyped announcement on Kiffin’s future.
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While the SEC is a purgatory of Kiffin’s making, Napier is looking for a new gig.
Per Pete Nakos of On3, Napier is considered a top target for North Texas after head coach Eric Morris accepted the opening at Oklahoma State.
The buyout Napier received from the Gators is not contingent on him looking for a job, but the 46-year-old head coach wants another crack with a new program.
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Napier’s expected candidacy for the Mean Green should come as no surprise. Per Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle, Napier had a visit that was coordinated with North Texas’ staff on Nov. 18.
“Now that I’ve had time to double check this with a couple of additional sources, former Florida and Louisiana coach Billy Napier was in town today to watch North Texas practice,” Vito posted on X. “The visit was coordinated with UNT’s staff.”
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One interesting detail to note about the North Texas opening is that Morris intends to finish the season with the Mean Green despite needing to lay the foundation with the Cowboys.
UNT is 10-1 and atop the American Conference before getting ready to finish the regular season at home against Temple on Friday. Morris would coach North Texas if it played in the conference championship and College Football Playoff.
Napier went 40-12 during his four seasons with Louisiana, winning two Sun Belt championships. He went 22-23 during his four seasons with Florida.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.