The Florida Gators and the Tennessee Volunteers will be in action against each other later this season, as the Vols will look to snap their losing streak in the Swamp. The Vols will be playing a new identity, as the Gators fired their head football coach, Billy Napier, on Sunday.
Following the news a statement from the Gators AD, Scott Stricklin released. The news was first gathered by Scott Burns at FloridaGators.com. Anyone who wants to see exactly what was said from start to bottom, make sure you click HERE.
In this statement the AD confirmed who the interim coach will be for the Gators as they search for their new coach. He will likely be the coach for the Gators against the Tennessee Vols. Here is what he had to say.
Apr 12, 2025; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators assistant coach for wide receivers Billy Gonzales gestures before the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
“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.”
If you want to see the full statement click HERE.