Billy Napier: Florida Focused on Mowing Its Own Grass in Crowded SEC
Photo: Billy Napier; Credit: Zach Goodall
The 2022 season marks a new beginning for the Florida Gators football program.
Equipped with its fourth head coach in just the past decade, Florida’s athletic department looks to Billy Napier to steady the rocky ship his predecessors have created at the University of Florida.
However, the history of winning at the UF has created swirling questions about the Gators' status in a jam-packed SEC East in year one. Napier’s connection with the coaches at the top of the conference — Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and Alabama’s Nick Saban from his four-year stint with the Crimson Tide from 2013-2016 — added to the inquiries of comparison.
Would he follow the structural mold his acquaintances used to build the current powerhouses in the college game? Does the variance of SEC champions over the past three years provide hope that the conference is more open than it appears from the outside for Florida to make a quick ascension?
The Gators' head man isn’t worried about answering those verbally. Instead, he’s focused on fixing the issues that saw the team he inherited post a 6-7 record a season ago to ensure noticeable changes are made under his regime.
“We’re consumed with Florida right now,” said Napier during his first SEC Media Days appearance. “We’ve got a lot of grass to mow, right? It’s our grass, not anybody else’s. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Experiencing a fall from grace following one of the most successful offensive campaigns in school history in 2020, Florida spiraled out of control from top to bottom as the season rolled on in 2021. The unit was characterized by their undisciplined play and evident division surrounding the status of the previous staff.
Over the past seven and a half months, the new coaches in charge have been looking to reconcile that aspect of the team.
“When you take over an organization, a team, you quickly get to work on what are the issues, are the problems, coming up with really good solutions,” Napier said. “It’s one day at a time. It’s one person at a time. That’s the approach we’re taking.”
As the Gators enter the season, Napier believes the chip on the team’s shoulder to elevate itself from a disappointing 2021 will shine through.
“I like this group,” he said. “I think they’ve got a chip on their shoulder. They’re excited about the opportunity to earn some respect.
“This group has embraced the work. I’m proud of our team. The team is not scared. They’re tough; they love to compete. When you put the ball down, they’re about it.”
They’re going to need that competitive fire in the gauntlet-like schedule in front of them in 2022. The upcoming season will serve as a stepping stone for the future of the Gators program as Napier attempts to rebuild the winning tradition in his way.
“I think we’re all aware if you can win your division, the [SEC] championship here, you can be a national championship contender. The path has been proven.”
Napier aspires to follow that well-paved road over the next few seasons.
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