It’s no secret Florida head coach Billy Napier is in major trouble.
Virtually the entire college football world thinks it’s a certainty that he will be fired. According to reports, Florida’s big-shot boosters are happily pooling together the $26 million needed to send him to the couch.
Jumping on the Napier-hate-train is none other than Gators legend Emmitt Smith. The Hall of Fame running back didn’t hold back his concerns about the state of the program under Napier.
Speaking on the Up and Adams Show, the former Gator great expressed severe skepticism about the program’s direction after a series of disappointing losses.
“Well, I’m not sure…I have mixed emotions. I think DJ Lagway gives us the best opportunity to be successful as an offensive unit because of his throwing ability and his ability to maneuver around in the pocket,” Smith said. “We…It’s tough, it’s so tough, because our schedule is going to be so tough.
“We still have LSU, we still got Georgia to play against, South Carolina, Tennessee, we got some tough games ahead of us, and we haven’t really shown that we have the ability to go out and compete at the level that we need to.”
Smith’s comments come after Florida was soundly beaten at home by both No. 8 Miami and Texas A&M. The Gators were defeated 41-17 by the Hurricanes and then fell 33-20 to the Aggies, leading many to question the program’s direction under Napier.
“It’s gonna be very tough to watch this season. If coach is right that he has nothing to worry about, he can see a fourth year, kudos to him, but I’m not seeing it happen,” Smith admitted.
“I think the losses are gonna tick a lot of people off. The loss this past weekend and the loss to Miami at home, both of those at home, and the way we lost those games is not a good look.”
Florida’s rocky start has added fuel to speculation about Napier’s job security, but the coach remains unfazed.
“These are all hypothetical scenarios,” Napier said of the firing speculation. “I think for me, I’m gonna try to model what I would expect from our players and some of those things I just talked about.
“I think that’s the whole key is that as a whole staff and throughout the organization, we have to model what we would expect from the players and want from the players. And that, for me, is total focus on the next opportunity to improve.”
The Gators’ next challenge is a crucial road matchup against Mississippi State, a game that could help restore some confidence in the floundering program.
But even if they win, the road ahead remains treacherous, with upcoming games against Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Georgia. (Brutal!)
What are your thoughts on Smith’s comments?
Do you think Napier is indeed a dead-man walking? … If so, who should Florida look to replace him with???