Florida Football is officially firing head coach Billy Napier, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, On3’s Chris Low, and On3’s Brett McMurphy.
The Gators’ decision to part ways with Napier isn’t all that surprising based on the reports that emerged last week. What is stunning, though, is that Napier’s firing directly followed a 23-21 win over Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville. It appears as though the win over the Bulldogs wasn’t enough to keep Napier in Florida’s favor moving forward.
Florida is 3-4 on the season with a 2-2 record in conference play. The Gators have wins against Long Island, No. 21 Texas, and Mississippi State, with losses against No. 19 South Florida, No. 10 LSU, No. 2 Miami, and No. 4 Texas A&M.
Napier was in the midst of his fourth season in Gainesville when the news came out on Saturday. With his firing, Napier’s final record at Florida is cemented at 22-23. His Gators were 1-1 in bowl games, with a loss in the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl and a win in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Falls in AP Poll After 17-Point Loss to Alabama in Week Eight
Napier’s tenure at Florida began in the 2022 season. He spent four years at Louisiana before that, going 40-12 with the Ragin’ Cajuns. Napier went 6-7 in 2022, 5-7 in 2023, 8-5 in 2024, and was 3-4 before his firing in 2025.
Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers went 2-1 over Billy Napier’s Florida Gators during their overlapping time as head coaches. The Vols won in 2022 and 2024, which were both games in Knoxville, and lost in Gainesville in 2023. The two coaches won’t see a fourth meeting, considering that game takes place later this year on Nov. 22 in Gainesville.
Florida has an open date this coming Saturday before a rivalry game against Georgia on Nov. 1
Per multiple reports, #Gators have named Billy Gonzales the interim head coach. pic.twitter.com/9KGe6jDaAB
— InAllKindsOfWeather.com (@AllKindsWeather) October 19, 2025
