Florida Gators football coach Billy Napier's team is off to a rough start to the 2024-25 season with Saturday's 41-17 blowout loss to Miami.

As Florida's deficit climbed to more than 20 points during the third quarter in Gainesville, college football fans began questioning Napier's future with the team.

"It's embarrassing, to be quite honest with you," Napier told reporters after the game. "That's how I feel. That's how our kids feel. There's no excuses. Keep our mouths shut, show up and work. We have to do better. I do think that our players will show up and they will respond."

He added:

"I still have confidence in our team. I think we've made progress. Today is disappointing, not only for myself but for the entire team and organization and for our fans and for all the people that care about this place. Like I said before, I've got conviction about the young men that we have on our team. I think we have better football in us. But we have to go prove that."

Napier is heading into his third season with Florida after compiling a 11-14 record and one Las Vegas Bowl loss over his first two years with the team.

Previous Florida coach Dan Mullen, who went 35-15 over three seasons while taking the Gators to the SEC championship game, was fired in November 2021.

Mullen reposted criticism of the decision to fire him on X during the Gators' Saturday loss, per On3:

After parting ways with Mullen, Florida brought Napier to Gainesville in 2021 on a seven-year, $51.8 million contract.

He has received $14.3 million over the first two years of the deal, leaving $37.5 million left on the table, per ESPN's Pete Thamel and On3's Grant Grubbs.

According to the terms of the contract, Florida would be required to pay Napier 85 percent of his remaining contract should the deal be terminated, per Thamel and Grubbs.

That will total than $26 million if Napier is terminated this season, according to Thamel. Florida would be required to pay 50 percent of that total within 30 days of termination, per Grubbs.

Another wrinkle to any potential buyout of Napier is the July installment of Dr. Kent Fuchs as the university's interim president. Fuchs hired current athletic director Scott Stricklin in 2016, as noted by On3's Jesse Simonton.

Saturday's loss was the first time Florida has lost a home opener since 1989. The blowout also set a program record for points allowed in a home opener, per Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.

Napier and the Gators will look to earn their first win of the season next Saturday against Samford before embarking on a tough fall schedule that includes matchups with powerhouses like Texas A&M, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas.