Is there a chance LSU ends Billy Napier's tenure at Florida?

For a lot of college football fans, Billy Napier is the soon-to-be former head coach of the Florida Gators. Florida fans are beyond frustrated with Napier's performance, which was evident last weekend when #FireBillyNapier was trending on X following Florida's loss to USF.

As Napier and the Gators try to regroup ahead of a visit to Death Valley to face No. 3 LSU, college football fans are wondering if Napier could be coaching his final game as Florida's head coach.

Billy Napier's seat at Florida is scorching hot

Last week's 18-16 loss at home to South Florida has Napier's seat as Florida's head coach red hot. He found himself in a similar situation last season, but then rallied his team to four consecutive wins to end the season, including a dominating 33-8 victory over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl. But all the momentum Napier might've had is now gone. It evaporated with last week's ugly loss to USF. ESPN's Bill Connelly stated that "Napier went from reasonably safe to all but done in a heartbeat."

Other media members agree with that sentiment. Paul Finebaum stated that Florida's daunting schedule gave Napier a little room for error, but that is no longer the case. Said Finebaum, "He blew it...he only had so much room for error with the toughest schedule in the SEC, and now he's completely thrown a game away." Despite Florida's resurgent second-half last year, Finebaum added that there's no room for optimism in Gainesville right now.

Napier's overall record at Florida has fallen to 20-20. For reference, Dan Mullen went 31-9 in his first 40 games in Gainesville. Jim McElwain went 22-12 before getting fired after 34 games. Will Muschamp went 24-16 and Urban Meyer went 31-9 in their first 40 games respectively.

Napier faces another uphill battle to save his job

Napier knows he is coaching for his job. When asked about his job security last week, Napier himself admitted that what happened against USF was unacceptable.

Unless he turns things around in a major way, Napier could be on his way out of Gainesville. The task at hand is a difficult one, as Florida's upcoming schedule is about as daunting as it gets.

First, the Gators visit No. 3 LSU on Saturday night in Death Valley. LSU is favored by a touchdown. Then, Florida travels to Miami (FL), who is currently ranked as the No. 5 team in the country. That's back-to-back road games against top-five opponents after losing to USF at home. Oof.

After a bye week, Florida hosts No. 7 Texas and then travels to No. 16 Texas A&M. Down the stretch, the Gators will face No. 6 Georgia, No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 15 Tennessee, and No. 10 Florida State. That's an absolute gauntlet that would be difficult for anyone, and Napier has already put himself behind the 8-ball.

What is Billy Napier's buyout?

On November 28, 2021, Napier signed a 7-year contract with Florida that is worth $51.8 million. As it stands, he is currently owed $30.2 million for the remaining years on that deal. If he makes it through this season before getting fired, Florida would owe 85% of the remaining money on his deal, which would be $19.38 million. If he gets fired in-season, the number on his buyout would be higher based on when it happens.

Even in a loss to LSU, it would be a bit surprising to see Florida show Napier the door this early in the season. The Florida athletic department showed faith in Napier last season, and even with a 1-2 start, firing him after three games would completely alter the season with so many big games remaining. It won't be easy, but the tough schedule ahead still presents plenty of opportunity for Napier and the Gators.

There is also the possibility that the Gators bounce back from last week's loss with a strong performance against LSU on Saturday. These teams have a way of playing close games, so LSU can't afford to overlook the Gators in any way. But whatever happens to Napier is not LSU's problem. The Tigers just need to focus on taking care of business and moving to 3-0.