(This op-ed first appeared on FloridaDaily.com)
For several years, Gainesville native Tom Petty’s classic hit song “Won’t Back Down” has blared over the loudspeakers at the University of Florida‘s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as a rally anthem for players, coaches, and fans before football games enter the fourth quarter. This past weekend, a more appropriate tune would have been Bruce Springsteen’s hit: “One Step Up and Two Steps Back.”
Year four of the Billy Napier project in Gainesville started with not only a glimmer of hope but widespread expectations that the Gators would return to the upper echelon of college football. Optimism filled the air, not only in north central Florida, but across the Sunshine State and all of “Gator Nation”, as many college football analysts picked the Gators as an early favorite to make the 2025 College Football Playoff. A 55-0 shutout of Long Island University (LIU) in the season opener didn’t give fans of the heavily-favored Gators any reason to fear an upset by an unranked opponent that the Gators had always defeated. Still, you can’t gain much insight from a victory against a program in LIU that has competed at the NCAA Division 1 level for under a decade.
To casual observers, the Gators’ game against the University of South Florida (USF), was a typical early season matchup against an inferior opponent that would serve as a glorified scrimmage or unofficial exhibition game that would allow Napier and his staff to iron out any lingering issues with team execution before they travel Baton Rouge to take on Louisiana State University (LSU). When the dust settled, USF was leaving Gainesville with much more than a moral victory. The Bulls defeated their big brother and took his lunch money on the way out, to the tune of $500,000.
As Gator fans fled the stadium, a familiar impromptu chant could be heard throughout the mezzanine and the funnels: “Fire Billy” [Five claps] “Fire Billy.” The sentiment was echoed across social media. Demands for Napier’s termination spread like wildfire among loyal fans of a once-proud program that was led by iconic names such as Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, and dozens of players who ultimately enjoyed success at the highest level of football in the NFL.
Considering Florida’s relatively recent history of success, it’s easy to sympathize with the rants of its angry fanbase. One key factor that prevents an easy exit from Napier is the most common: Money.
If UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin were to fire Billy Napier before the end of the 2025 season, his buyout would be based on 85% of the remaining value of his contract. Napier signed a seven-year, $51.8 million contract in late 2021, which remains in effect through January 2029. For the period 2026 through January 2029, he is still owed approximately $22.8 million. The buyout clause stipulates that Napier would receive 85% of that remaining compensation, which would equal $19.38 million. This may not sound too daunting on the surface, but 50% of it must be paid within 30 days of termination. The remaining 50% is distributed in equal installments (12.5% each year) over the following four years, beginning each July 15 through 2028.
Napier’s buyout would put UF in a situation where affordability takes top priority for the next coach. Attempting to lure a name as big as Nick Saban would generate plenty of attention-grabbing headlines, but wouldn’t necessarily be practical. Instead, the Gators may look for a rising star who doesn’t have sufficient leverage to demand a contract as large as the top five paid coaches in the country. One current head coach who fits that mold is the very man who led USF to their upset over the Gators: Alex Golesh.
Alex Golesh inherited a USF program that had won just four games over the previous three seasons, a truly low starting point. Despite that, he managed to turn them into a winning team. Golesh has already proven that he can rebuild a struggling program and achieve quick on-field success—even under significantly more demanding initial conditions than Napier faced when he inherited Dan Mullen’s team, which had been to a bowl game the year before Napier’s arrival.
Golesh is already familiar with the inner workings of the Southeastern Conference and the caliber of competition he would face. Earlier in his career, as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, he took an offense that was ranked 108th nationally and elevated it to 7th, shattering multiple school records along the way.
When Golesh took over the South Florida Bulls in 2023, the program was reeling under predecessor Jeff Scott, having won only four games over three seasons. Under Golesh’s leadership, USF turned the ship around swiftly—becoming bowl-eligible in his first season and continuing that momentum with bowl appearances and record-setting performances in 2024. This year, USF is the only team to start the season with two wins over teams in the top 25.
This weekend could prove to be the ultimate selling point for Golesh. USF travels to Hard Rock Stadium to take on the Miami Hurricanes. Meanwhile, Napier and the Gators need a victory against LSU to keep the season from slipping away. Only time will tell if Napier can right the ship before it sinks.
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