GAINESVILLE — Billy Napier might have saved his job at UF if he’d ceded play calling duties as his boss had strongly encouraged.
A day after firing Napier, Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin said the two men held lengthy discussions during the offseason to determine whether Napier should focus less on the offense and more on the overall game operation. Instead, Napier continued to call plays, ultimately to his peril.
“We spent probably hours in conversation,” Stricklin told reporters Monday at the Heavener Football Center. “I shared with him that I thought that his strength may be in leading the program and overseeing the bigger picture. But at the end of the day, my philosophy is, you hire head coaches, you give them authority to make decisions on how they want to run their program, and you hold them accountable to that.
“That’s probably part of the reason we’re here today.”
Napier’s insistence on play calling ended with his dismissal amid a fourth season at UF, with a 22-23 record — a 48.9 winning percentage, the lowest since Raymond B. Wolf’s teams went 13-24-2 (35.9%) from 1946-49.
The Gators enter the bye week ranked 13th in the SEC in total offense, a year after the Gators were 12th. During consecutive losses to USF, LSU and Miami — a September stretch that effectively doomed Napier — Florida managed just one offensive touchdown in each game.
Last February, Napier maintained his play-calling ability was, “what got me here.”
Yet, Florida’s offensive inconsistency, inability to beat top opponents — Napier was 5-17 against ranked teams — and concerns from Stricklin and big-money donors suggested Napier shouldered too much responsibility.
Florida head coach Billy Napier talks with quarterback DJ Lagway during the Gators’ 23-21 win against Mississippi State Oct. 18 in the Swamp. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Stricklin declined to discuss specifics of their discussions about play calling.
“I’m going to keep those conversations between the two of us private,” Stricklin said. “But we had a lot of conversations related to that. It wasn’t this or else. As I said, ADs hire head coaches. They don’t hire assistant coaches.
“That was his decision.”
Interim coach Billy Gonzales, a longtime receivers coach at UF under Urban Meyer, Dan Mullen and Napier, plans to spread out offensive responsibilities during the remaining five regular-season games.
“It’s going to be a collaborative effort,” he said. “It’s something I’ve been used to over the years.”
Quarterback analyst Ryan O’Hara will be the primary play caller, while coordinator Russ Callaway will oversee the offensive staff.
Veteran line coach Rob Sale and running backs Jabbar Juluke, who each served with Napier dating to 2018 at Louisiana-Lafayette, will coordinate the run game. Callaway and O’Hara will handle the passing game.
In the new set-up, O’Hara will be able to work closely with sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway, who has failed to build on a breakout 2024 season as a true freshman.
“There’s a rhythm piece between him and DJ,” Gonzales said. “It’s really important that the quarterback is an extension of his teacher. For the next five games, that’s going to be critical.”
A season after he completed 12 passes of 40 yards or longer and averaged 10 yards per attempt, which ranked second nationally, Lagway has four 40-yard completions and averages 6.8 yards per attempt, or tied for 90th among 100 players who qualify.
The 20-year-old is eager to see O’Hara in his new role.
“He’s been there from the beginning,” Lagway said. “He’s taught me a lot, even when I was in high school, having meetings with him, then during the recruiting process, and helped me with different things. I have a great relationship with Coach O’Hara, and I’m excited for it.”
Lagway is equally excited to face Georgia Nov. 1 in Jacksonville. During a 34-20 loss last season, Lagway injured his left hamstring with the Gators leading 7-3.
“I’ve been waiting for this game for a long time,” Lagway said. “I’m a big, competitive guy. I just love to get out there and fight with my guys.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
