Billy Napier on ‘Fire Billy’ chants, boos after win: ‘I’m built for it’

Even in the midst of a win, Billy Napier couldn’t escape the boos and chants for his firing from Florida fans. The Gators escaped with a narrow 23-21 victory against Mississippi State on Saturday in Gainesville, their second win in the past three games.

Those in attendance were still not satisfied, though, after Florida nearly allowed the Bulldogs to come back and win the game in the fourth quarter. Napier addressed the crowd reaction as he walked off the field, saying he is the type of person who can handle it.

“I would say I think I’m built for it,” Napier said. “I’m made for it. I chose the coaching profession. I was called to coach. The good comes with the bad. I do think that the game is about the players and I’m proud of the players and the way they played. You’re never gonna make everybody happy when you get in these leadership positions and you’re in charge. These are the things that come with it.”

Florida held a 20-7 lead after scoring a touchdown to start the fourth quarter but nearly allowed the Bulldogs a chance to complete a comeback. The Gators gave up back-to-back touchdowns on Mississippi State’s next two drives, as well as scoring a field goal themselves to make it 23-21.

After Florida went three-and-out, the Bulldogs got the ball back with 1:32 remaining just needing a field goal to take the lead. They actually got within range at the Gators 29-yard line before throwing an interception with 21 seconds left and effectively ending the game.

Even with the win Saturday, Florida’s overall record for the season still sits at a mere 3-4 (2-2 SEC) on the season. Napier’s overall record midway through his fourth year at the helm is just below .500 at 22-23.

He also has just one winning record in that span, coming last season after he won four straight to finish the year 8-5. That was enough to save his job then, but the pressure is clearly mounting.

We’ll see how long Napier is able to make it through this season, but he’s got a big game coming up against rival Georgia in a couple of weeks. Napier’s contract runs through January 2029 and Florida would owe him more than $20 million in buyout money if it fired him this season according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

Florida has a bye this week before taking on the Bulldogs on Nov. 1. That in mind, it will be interesting to see whether the Gaotrs use this opportunity to make the change or stick it out with their coach.