Eight coaches fired, more to come. You surprised Billy Napier still leads Florida Gators?

There are few things lazier and more cliché than the question that goes something like this.

“Would you have believed me back in August if I told you this would happen?"

But what the hell, here we go.

What if I’d told you, back in August, that by mid-October, eight severance checks would’ve been deposited by FBS football coaches, the Florida Gators would be 2-4 and still inept offensively, and Billy Napier wasn’t one of the aforementioned eight departures?

If you’re a big-time Gator rooter, this is horrible to watch for obvious reasons. But even for us merely interested onlookers, it ain’t pretty. It’s tough watching Napier stand up there at his Monday media gatherings and beat the same drum with the same beat.

You have to admire the discipline it takes for him not to show up unhinged just for the sake of looking like he’s as mad as the lifelong supporters and, ahem, the bill-paying boosters. 

We’re at the midseason mark, and so far, it’s been an expensive year for the underwriters. Among the departed, we have a Not-So-Good Sam, the Mullet, two Trents and a Brent. 

The official list, for those scoring at home: Troy Taylor at Stanford, DeShaun Foster at UCLA, Brent Pry at Virginia Tech, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State (he’s the Mullet, of course), Trent Bray at Oregon State, Sam Pittman at Arkansas, Trent Dilfer at Bama-Birmingham and James Franklin at (We Were) Penn State.

Stanford actually bounced Taylor back in the spring before he could continue losing games at a program that once prided itself on its Saturday efficiency. There were rumors of bullying staffers, but you have to wonder, if his back-to-back 3-9 seasons had instead been 9-3, perhaps a sensitivity class might’ve replaced the pink slip.

Sources: Florida AD Scott Stricklin met with influential boosters Tuesday. The result: Gators coach Billy Napier could be fired as soon as this weekend. https://t.co/3kYrlr8ERC

— Matt Hayes (@MattHayesCFB) October 15, 2025

It’s hard to imagine we won’t blow past 10 firings this year, maybe blow past a baker’s dozen, and equally difficult at this time to imagine Napier whistling past the unemployment line much longer. 

He’ll leave behind a Greatest Hits album that won’t make anyone’s billboard chart.

“We know it’s not good enough.”

“No one loves to lose.”

“I think we’re identifying areas we can improve and things we need to do better.”

And his personal Free Bird …

“We all know what the job is. Wake up every day and go do your job.”

In times like this, an upcoming bye week often becomes bye-bye week, and the Gators have a bye week after this weekend. Given the transfer portal, not to mention buyouts of $20-plus million, these things are complicated. But there comes a time.

Ever since the Gators’ original sin of taking away Ray Graves’ whistle in 1970, they’ve made two great coaching hires — Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. It would’ve been three if Charley Pell was better at covering his tracks.

Beginning with the Doug Dickey hire in 1970, there have been five coaching tenures eventually deemed “not good enough.” And now one we can simply label, “not good.”

And by the way, no gloating allowed in Tallahassee. Your guy might be next.

Rank & File: 'Canes, Bulls and a big shakeup below

Weekly ranking of Florida’s seven big-league college football programs, based on results versus expectations, current trends, and 10 minutes with a Ouija Board and the late, great Frank Broyles …

#Louisville going with all black this Saturday against Miami. Uniforms are 🔥🔥🔥.

📸: @LouisvilleFBpic.twitter.com/LlZeM8T41l

— Jeff Lightsy Jr. (@jlightsy7) October 17, 2024

1. Miami Hurricanes (5-0). Last week: (ranked 1) off. This week: Louisville at home, Friday night. FYI: The No. 2-ranked ’Canes were last ranked No. 1 after the 2002 regular season, before losing the Fiesta Bowl in 2OT to Ohio State’s Buckeyes, who are again keeping No. 1 away from Miami almost 24 years later. Even if the ’Canes keep winning, they won’t likely return to No. 1 until Ohio State's annual loss to Michigan in late November. The pick: ’Canes 40, Cardinals 27.

2. USF Bulls (5-1). Last week: (2) beat North Texas, 63-36. This week: FAU at home. FYI: All things equal, you’d soon be reading about USF rewarding Alex Golesh with a contract extension and big raise. But second-tier Group of Five schools can’t scrape together enough to keep their hot-ticket coach from batting eyes at suitors from, say, Blacksburg and Stillwater. The pick: Bulls 42, Owls 18.

3, FAU Owls (3-3). Last week: (6) beat UAB, 53-33. This week: at USF. FYI: You could make a case for lumping these next five schools together and calling it a five-way tie for third. Or seventh, if you prefer. But the Owls are the most recent winner, which is becoming valuable currency. The pick: See above.

4. FSU Seminoles (3-3). Last week: (4) lost to Pitt, 34-31. This week: at Stanford. FYI: Just go back the lifespan of a songbird and this would’ve had “Game of the Week” potential. Stanford has gone 3-9 each of the last four years (!), sits 2-4 now and, frankly, might go 3-9 yet again because North Carolina looks like the only win remaining on the schedule. The pick: ’Noles 27, Cardinal 16.

5. FIU Panthers (3-3). Last week: (7) off. This week: Beat Western Kentucky, 25-6, Tuesday night. Next week: Kennesaw State at home next Tuesday. FYI: The Panthers were already plugged into their familiar No. 7 spot here, then they went and upset the 5-1 Hilltoppers in a big way to end a 10-game road losing funk. It’s easily the most important win in the young Willie Simmons era and might trigger a change in the C-USA pecking order. Or might not.

What a performance by @FIUFootball

Might be the best I’ve seen them play in years. On the road 10 point DAWGS against 5-1 WKU (leader of CUSA) and absolutely just beating the **** out of them!!

What a start to CUSATOBER (best thing in football)

Also… KEJON OWENS HEISMAN… pic.twitter.com/f0vhuI9CG0

— David Hondal (@davidhondal_) October 15, 2025

6. Florida Gators (2-4). Last week: (3) lost to Texas A&M, 34-17. This week: Mississippi State at home. FYI: Of the UF coaches who coached more than 36 games, only Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer had a better win percentage than Billy Napier’s predecessor, Dan Mullen (.694 — 35-14 in three-plus seasons). Mullen returned to the sideline this year and he’s currently 6-0 at UNLV. Two bad months got him fired from Gainesville in 2021. Yes, months. The pick: Gators 19, Bulldogs 13.

7. UCF Knights (3-3). Last week: (5) lost to Cincinnati, 20-11. This week: West Virginia at home. FYI: The Retread Bowl features two coaches — WVU’s Rich Rodriguez and UCF’s Scott Frost — returning to scenes of past glory. They’re a combined 5-7 and for both, this game looks like one of just two potential-to-likely wins the rest of the way. For better or worse, someone’s three-game losing streak will end. The pick: Mountaineers 22, Knights 20.

Other Picks: Last Irish jig for Trojans? Say it ain't so

These guys were doing this whole intersectional rivalry thing long (and I mean LONG) before conference realignment gave us Pacific Coast schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference and America's Big Ten breadbasket. 

USC vs. Notre Dame has been a big deal, every year, since 1926. Well, except for a few years during World War II. 

Maybe you’ve read about it. There were some heavyweights involved, most notably the Allied Forces (the good guys) and the Axis Powers.

In today’s college football, the Allies and Axis roles are filled by the most powerful forces this side of the front lines — major conferences and the networks. Due to USC’s move to the Big Ten and Notre Dame’s longtime affair with sugar-daddy NBC, it might be a while before we see this annual staple again after Saturday. 

If this is indeed the end, at least it really means something this year for two teams clinging to playoff hopes — Irish by 8.

Games like these are why you play football ‼️

Trojans vs. Fighting Irish at the Coliseum 🍿✌️

presented by @DIRECTVpic.twitter.com/5FClWVN3r6

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) November 30, 2024

ELSEWHERE: Vandy over LSU, maybe; Oklahoma big over S. Carolina; Ohio State beats Wisconsin by 20; Indiana big over Michigan State; Texas A&M beats Arkansas; Ole Miss over Georgia by 3; Texas by 12 over Kentucky; Penn State probably beats Iowa; suddenly decent UCLA over Maryland; Vols over Tide; BYU beats Utah; Mizzou over Auburn; and way off the beaten path in Massachusetts, the Framingham State Rams, at home, by 20 over the Owls of Westfield State at Bowditch Stadium, which might be the only college stadium named after a genius. Or might not.

BTW: Framingham was originally known as the “Normal School,” which was the name given to many a teacher college back in the horse-and-buggy days. Why? Because students were trained to teach others the norms of language, math, millwrighting, etc. Some countries still use the Normal School term, and in Mexico, a Normal School grad is a Normalista. No es broma.

BTW II: The genius behind Bowditch Stadium? I’d like to say it’s Nathaniel Bowditch, a long-ago giant of maritime navigation so ahead of his time, his 1802 tome, “Practical Navigator,” is still found near the ship’s helm of every U.S. Naval Captain, alongside the black book and autographed picture of Chester Nimitz. Turns out, though, there was another Nathaniel Bowditch in Central Mass, a longtime Framingham parks commissioner in the mid-1900s. Couldn't find New Brunswick on a map, but boy could he chalk a ballfield.

— Email Ken Willis at [email protected]

Framingham State University Football has a resume like no other #NCAA Division III program in New England! Here is the kicker, almost all of this winning has happened in the last 13 years! #BMFpic.twitter.com/RMYRrXEWYY

— Joe P (@CoachJoePap) January 26, 2024

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Billy Napier lives to coach another week with Florida. Surprised?