When Florida fired Billy Napier in October, it came as little surprise. It was bizarre timing as the move came one day after the Gators beat Mississippi State, 23-21, at home.
Florida went to the top of the list for prime openings, but the school struck out with some of its top candidates before hiring Tulane coach Jon Sumrall. As far as Napier goes, his name is coming up in this coaching carousel cycle, and it’s a surprising school that he is linked to.
Former Florida Coach Billy Napier Linked to Opening
Napier’s tenure in Gainesville was one that many feel should have ended long before it did. He bought himself an extra season after finishing 2024 strong and getting Florida to a bowl game. Things went south early in 2025 with a home loss to South Florida, followed by an SEC loss to LSU and a road loss at Miami.
Many thought that he was going to be fired after his team’s showing in South Florida. Instead, he came back and took down Texas and Arch Manning at home. That loss is likely keeping the Longhorns out of the College Football Playoff. Despite being fired by Florida, his name is surfacing for an opening.
James Madison coach Bob Chesney is going to UCLA, leaving a big opening in the Group of 5. According to Pete Nakos of On3, Napier is a name he’s hearing linked to the job with the Dukes.
“The two names that On3 continues to hear the most buzz about this morning are former Florida head coach Billy Napier and Lehigh’s Kevin Cahill. Napier was 40–12 as a head coach at Louisiana before his four seasons at Florida,” Nakos wrote.
Napier had a ton of success with Louisiana before making the move to Florida. What was his downfall was his stubbornness to give up play-calling, among other things. Cahill is having a great season with Lehigh, but Napier’s past success at Louisiana might give him the edge.
Should James Madison Hire Billy Napier?
James Madison has struck gold with their two last hires. Curt Cignetti had a ton of success before leaving for Indiana. Chesney has continued the success, and he is now off to UCLA. The Dukes play Troy in Friday night’s Sun Belt Conference Championship Game.
JMU came in at No. 25 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, which leaves the door open for them to sneak into the 12-team field if other results go their way this weekend.
As far as Napier goes, returning to the Group of 5 might make the most sense. Penn State still has an opening after firing James Franklin, but AD Pat Kraft hasn’t shown any interest in Napier. That was a job that made the most sense for Chesney, but he’s headed to Southern California.
Napier burned a lot of bridges in Florida, and a return to the Sun Belt might be what’s best for him. James Madison is an opening that is coveted in the Group of 5, and Napier’s success in the league could give him the edge for the job.
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