Tim Tebow is one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Florida Gators.
But the once proud program has fallen on tough times in recent years.
And Tim Tebow was blindsided when the Florida Gators made this scary decision.
Frustration grows for fans of the Florida Gators
The University of Florida Gators football team has struggled to reach the heights the program achieved under former head coaches Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
Meyer retired in 2010 citing health and family reasons after winning two national titles.
Florida has gone through head coaches Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain, and Dan Mullen trying to find a spark.
Current head coach Billy Napier arrived before the 2022 season with lofty expectations.
He coached under former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.
Napier went 22-2 over his last two seasons with the University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.
But he has strained to adjust to coaching in the SEC.
Napier has a 15-18 record and struggled against rivals like the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers.
Beating the Kentucky Wildcats, a basketball school, is no longer a layup for the Florida Gators.
Napier came into the season on the hot seat and was blown out 41-17 to the schools instate rivals the Miami Hurricanes.
Former coach Meyer said that the game “was painful to watch” on The Triple Option podcast.
“The intensity of that recruiting, I lived it for six years,” Meyer said. “Every player you get on the phone with, every player you go see it comes down to you and the ‘U,’ and Florida State, obviously. But that’s the way it should be. I have a vested interest in Florida. That’s painful to watch that.”
Napier went off on fans after the loss to Miami.
“We got to go to work on the football part,” Napier said at the time. “I think we got to become a more consistent team, and we have to execute better. If we can focus on those things and not necessarily what some guy in his basement is saying in rural central Florida on social media, then we got a chance to get better.”
Florida Gators anger fans with decision about the program
Florida fans hoped that Napier would get fired this year but the school announced they were sticking with him for another season.
Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin put out a statement to “Gator Nation” that the football team is “building a foundation that promises greater success next season and beyond.”
Napier has turned to freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway, who has shown promise.
“UF’s commitment to excellence and a championship-caliber program is unwavering,” Stricklin wrote. “I am confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
Florida took rival Tennessee to the wire and played a hard-fought game against Georgia.
Napier has a $26 million buyout if the school fires him this season.
Florida will give him one more season but without significant improvement, the program could be on the search to find another head coach to return the program to its former glory.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
