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Florida appears to have hit the point of no return under coach Billy Napier. Though many supporters believe it is inevitable the third-year coach’s tenure will end this fall, the mechanism pushing the buttons behind the scenes has been shrouded by an opaque power structure at the university.
Administrators at the university level and within the athletics department have remained mum as rumors circle Napier after two blowout losses. The reality is Napier can be fired at any moment, sources tell CBS Sports. Questions abound, too, about the future of athletics director Scott Stricklin, who serves an interim university president with a board of trustees comprised of powerful political players in the state.
The facts are clear: Florida is struggling to remain competitive under Napier, whose 12-16 record makes him the first Gators coach since the 1940s with a losing record after two-plus seasons. Florida has lost seven straight games to FBS opponents. The losses, including blowouts at home this season to rival Miami and Texas A&M, have embarrassed fans and led to booing from the stands. The questions facing Florida’s athletic department seem simple yet are difficult to answer.
How much control does Florida’s board of trustees have over a coaching search?
Who are Stricklin’s friends and foes, and is his job actually safe?
Who will Florida target when it fires Napier?
Behind the scenes, the gears are already in motion for a potential change, and there is more alignment among administrators than message board rumors tend to say. Stricklin, who is facing criticism of his own after decisions to hire Dan Mullen and then Napier, has been informed the decision whether to fire Napier is his to make. In that scenario, Stricklin will also be tasked with…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/billy-napiers-imminent-firing-prompts-another-big-question-who-holds-power-to-hire-floridas-next-coach/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2024-09-20 16:42:47
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