Where Next For Billy Napier? 5 Potential Landing Spots After Florida Firing

After a difficult tenure where he spent more time on the hot seat than basking in the reflective glow of success, the Florida Gators have fired head coach Billy Napier. Despite his turbulent time in Gainesville, Napier has been a successful coach before, and could add significant value at another program. The question is now, where will that be? Let’s examine some landing spots.

Where Could Florida Gators Head Coach Billy Napier Land After Being Fired?

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Napier ahead of the Week 8 clash with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Swirling rumors pointed to his potential departure regardless of the result, and lo and behold, on Sunday afternoon, he was fired following a close fought win that took the Gators to 2-2 in the SEC.

“According to sources, Florida’s athletic director Scott Stricklin met with a handful of influential boosters on Tuesday and was told continuing financial support depends on a “new direction within the football program,” the report revealed.

Head Coach, North Carolina Tar Heels.

Bill Belichick’s highly anticipated move to North Carolina has quickly soured, becoming a significant disappointment just months into the former NFL coach’s tenure. After a 2-3 start that includes three blowout losses, the Tar Heels’ high-profile decision to hire him looks like a failure.

After Belichick’s disastrous stint at UNC, the program will need a complete fresh start, with GM Mike Lombardi also potentially moving on should the former NFL head coach depart the program. This could be the perfect spot for Napier.

With Belichick’s stint with the Tar Heels looking to be a complete failure, the Florida head coach would face significantly less expectations than with the Gators. Florida, realistically, would want to be competing for the National Championship in the coming years.

Meanwhile, UNC is 2-3 on the year, and is one of the worst teams in College Football. They would surely welcome the steady .500 record that Napier could potentially offer them.

Head Coach, Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule is one of the favorites to take over Penn State after they decide to fire James Franklin. Rhule has deep connections to Penn State, having played for the Nittany Lions from 1994 to 1997.

If the Nitanny Lions steal Rhule away from Nebraska, the head coach would most likely take quarterback Dylan Raiola with him. After their 5-1 start to the season, the Cornhuskers have one of the top 30 offenses in the country based on PFSN’s offense impact.

Napier is one of the most offensive-minded coaches in College Football. The Florida head coach is also the offensive play-caller for the Gators, which would make him the perfect candidate to rebuild a top-30 CFB offense around a brand new Quarterback.

Offensive Coordinator, UCLA.

Before his time as head coach of Louisiana and Florida, Napier served as offensive coordinator for Arizona State and Clemson. The head coach could potentially step back from being a head coach and return to his roots.

It was recently reported that Napier attempted to hire an offensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 season; however, after his failure to secure the signature of Charlie Weis Jr from Ole Miss. Following that failure, Napier continued his job as offensive playcaller.

Despite reports that this was much to the chagrin of the boosters, Napier still has enough credit to make a move to a program like UCLA. The Bruins recently mutually agreed to part ways with their OC, Tino Sunyeri.

However, there is the slight complication of the current interim OC, Jerry Neuheisel. At just 33 years old, Neuheisel is one of the highest-potential offense coaches in College Football. The UCLA offensive coordinator went from Tight Ends coach to Assistant Head Coach to offensive coordinator in just one season.

Head Coach, UAB.

UAB fired former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer as its head coach a week ago. The Blazers lost their third straight game, 53-33, at Florida Atlantic, falling to 2-4 this season. Offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen is currently the interim head coach, and guided the program to a memorable win over the Memphis Tigers on Saturday.

“We want to find people who have had success, as I said, college success. Coaches who have had some success navigating the transfer rules and managing the players and that kind of thing.” Athletic director Mark Ingram shared the following after the decision.

Following the 2024 season, Napier decided to focus on recruitment rather than the Transfer Portal. He signed a bumper crop of 26 recruits, with just five winter portal transfers and one spring portal transfer.

While he may have his issues on the field, the Florida head coach has never had any controversies off the field. This could make him a desirable candidate for programs like UAB and North Carolina, which are currently seeking stability.