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Kirby Smart praises Billy Napier, talks how coaching change could affect their game

79417-removebg-preview (1)by: Corey Bender4 hours agoCorey_Bender
Billy Napier Kirby Smart
USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Gators have the week off before their annual rivalry game against Georgia. This gives Florida time to adjust after firing head coach Billy Napier.

Napier and Georgia coach Kirby Smart go way back. They both worked as assistants on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff before Smart became Georgia’s head coach and Napier eventually got his own head coaching jobs. When talking about Napier, Smart had nothing but praise.

“First of all, I have a lot of respect for Billy,” Smart said. “I’ve known Billy a long time. We were on staff together at Alabama. I like Billy a lot. I think he’s very intelligent, very well-organized. His attention to detail is at a really high level. He thinks things out really well. I think they’ve recruited well and done a good job. I hate it in this profession. We all know what we sign up for, and Billy understands that.”

Billy Napier finished his time at Florida with a 22-23 overall record and 12-16 in SEC play. This season, he went 3-4 before being fired after a win over Mississippi State. In three games against Georgia and Smart, Napier never won.

Napier out, energy up?

The coaching change could create challenges for Georgia, but it might also give Florida new energy. A change in playcaller or strategy can sometimes spark a team.

“As far as how that affects the matchup, it probably affects it more than a one-week window,” Smart said. “They’ll make changes. A lot of times, you inject energy when you do that. Look across the country at guys that have had interim coaches and had some really big wins. I know Coach [Billy] Gonzales is doing a great job. I have a lot of respect for him, going against him for many years. They’ve got a really good staff. So, again, I hate to say it. I’m not worried about them. I’m worried about us.”

Florida and Georgia are set to meet in Jacksonville on November 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST

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