GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Billy Napier enters his fourth season looking to get the Gators back to winning ways.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin made the announcement Thursday in a “letter to Gator Nation” saying the team “has established a foundation that promises greater success next season and beyond.”

The Gators (4-4, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) have made significant strides since lopsided losses to Miami and Texas A&M in the first month of the season. Napier strengthened the team’s weak defence. found a potential star in freshman point guard DJ Lagway and developed young talent on both sides of the ball.

That’s the kind of progress that makes Stricklin’s decision relatively easy, despite Napier’s 15-18 record in Gainesville ahead of Saturday’s game against No. 5 ranked Texas.

“UF’s commitment to excellence and a championship-caliber program is unwavering,” Stricklin wrote. “In these times of change in college athletics, we are committed to a disciplined, consistent approach focused on long-term, sustainable success for Gator athletes, recruits and fans.

“I am confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

crocodiles He came face to face with then-No. 8 Knoxville, Tennessee last month and again Last week with second place Georgia in Jacksonville.

Florida lost 23-17 in overtime to the Volunteers after wasting multiple chances to create a stunner. And there are many who believe the Gators will win the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Lagway did not pull his hamstring in the second quarter While leading 10-3.

“Nobody expected us to be anything before the season started,” Ja’Kobi Jackson said Wednesday. He has the ability to beat teams.”

Nobody saw this coming in September. It looked like Napier wouldn’t even finish the season.

There was Florida Incompetent on both sides of the ball in 41-17 loss to Miami opened the season and showed no improvement in a 33-20 loss against Texas A&M two weeks later. Under first-year coach Mike Elko, the Aggies rushed for 310 yards, three touchdowns from a freshman quarterback making his first collegiate start and ending a 10-game road campaign.

However Napier’s popularity begins to change A dominant victory at Mississippi State followed by a bye week that turned into a series of ultra-competitive practices — on-field work that players point to as key to getting going.

While some wondered whether the Gators would start to give up or fold, they favored Napier.

“Everybody believes everything Coach Napier says,” Jackson said. “At the end of the day, we play for each other. We play for everyone in this building.”

Florida would owe nearly $26 million if it fires Napier in 2024. The purchase price will drop to about $19 million in 2025, but that figure will be considerably higher with the help of an army of assistants and behind-the-scenes help.

Even if Napier remains in place, it is likely to open in the proverbial hot seat next year. And for good reason.

Florida is 2-12 against ranked teams and 1-10 against rivals Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee. And Napier’s in-game errors continue to mount, albeit at a much slower rate (see Tennessee).

However, the growth outweighs the growing pains. With November being a key recruiting month, Florida executives opted to give Napier a vote of confidence, especially with his team in such disarray. The Gators may be down two of their top quarterbacks, including Lagway, two of their top running backs, two of their top four receivers and four cornerbacks when they take the field in Austin.

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