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Billy Napier, Florida Haven't Discussed HC's Future Amid Contract Buyout Rumors

Zach Bachar

Florida head coach Billy Napier hasn't discussed his future with the school following a 33-20 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.

When asked about meeting with the team regarding his job status, Napier told reporters that "none" of those talks have occurred (per Nick Schultz of On3.com).

ESPN's Chris Low reported on Saturday that "high-ranking" boosters have gathered the money to fund the head coach's contract buyout cost of roughly $26 million.

Napier kept his focus on Florida's upcoming matchup with Mississippi State instead of his job security.

"These are all hypothetical scenarios," he said, per Schultz. "I think for me, I'm gonna try to model what I would expect from our players and some of those things I just talked about, I think that's the whole key is that as a whole staff and throughout the organization, we have to model what we would expect from the players and want from the players."

"And that, for me, is total focus on the next opportunity to improve," he added.

Napier signed a seven-year, $51.8 million contract to join the Gators in Dec. 2021 after leading Louisiana to double-digit wins in three straight seasons from 2019 to 2021.

He hasn't experienced the same level of success in Gainesville, finishing with a record of 11-14 through his first two years with the program. The Gators are just 1-2 to open their 2024 campaign, representing the team's first losing record after three games in 32 years (h/t 247Sports' Graham Hall).

Napier also has a record of just 6-11 against SEC opponents with Florida.

If the Gators are unable to defeat the Bulldogs on Saturday, speculation surrounding Napier's job security and the potential buyout of the remainder of his contract will continue to increase.

   

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