USA Today: Grades for First Year Coaches

Good because nobody's arguing that and I wish this stupid strawman would die already.

 

Yeah, I read that sentence that it's understandable if we lose to Georgia, but not to TN, FSU, etc.

 

Last year and the year before the D was awful, and that was before the HC quit on the team. It didn't help that we lost our 2 LB'ers who were good and experienced. IMO, the only time i will look at 'red flags' is towards end year 2 and beginning of year 3. Our important season is coming up soon, and that is signing day. We will need at least 2 top 5 or so classes to be able to go toe to toe with Georgia.

 

It would be a single-year failure absolutely.

But that should by no means be a deal-breaker for Napier.

 

WTF, I think Vegas had us at 6-6, so we finished as expected, solid C.

 

I had us at 7-5. Vandy got me.

 

Why would he? The other teams were beatable. Georgia is far, far better than we are. Nah, he's pretty much dead on...

 

SMDH. You'd think we are FAU...

 

Not just elite coaches:

2012: 11-2 (Muschamp)
2019: 11-2 (Mullen)

McElwain went 10-4 and 9-4 his first two years.

 

We do have 6 loss talent. We have had 6 or more losses with 2 different coaches.

 

Could be worse we could be locked into jimbos contract in whatever year he’s in.

quick edit: I think we have a winner with Billy just hope he makes some adjustments.

 

I agree 100% with this. That Vanderbilt loss really destroyed all of the momentum that the program had. 7-5 might have been forgivable since 4 of the losses were to current Top 25 teams, but that Vandy loss just tanked everything.

 

@grant1 How ya gonna put a disagree on him for just pasting info?

 

This one gives Billy a ‘C’.

College football rankings: Sonny Dykes leads final grades for first-year coaches

 

Why didn’t we send players packing and go to the portal when Napier first came?

 

You need to take into account what Napier is going on the recruiting trail. This team wasn’t winning anything with the current talent so the record is really beside the point right now. It’s called rebuilding.

 

He didn’t really know what he had. You can’t really evaluate what you have until work outs and practice. It’s much easier to hit the portal when 15 of your own already entered the portal before you got there …as in Kelly’s case.

 

I tend to agree with that grade. If we had finished 7-5, I wouldn't have any problem giving CBN a C+ for a first year grade. That Vandy loss was Muschamp-esque.

 

Meh, not to worried about that grade. Vegas had UF projected to finish 6-6 to start the year. Mullens team quit the second half. (except FSU). Recruiting stunk. Mullen was checked out. Grantham had clearly lost any sembalence of being able to put together any defense. Seemed the locker room was in shambles.

I understand that occasionally a coaching hire will result in dramatic improvement. SOS 90, Urban 2005. Obviously there are examples in the SEC - Remember the little "SOB" (son of Bowden) at Auburn? They were unbeaten the SOB's first two years.

I'm no expert but every situation is different and so are the outcomes for new hires. I thought after Utah UF was on it's way to 9 wins or even better. I was wrong.

All I know is UF's defense was poor, again. Was it coaching? or talent? Or both? Considering the last three years are arguably the WORST three consecutive years in the annals of UF defensive football, this latest record, 6 - 6, is not shocking.

I think (hope) Napier was "hamstrung" into decisions this year, that with new personnel, will allow Napier to play "his way" going forward. In plain english, UF was just not that good. My evaluation: Offense C+ Defense D Special Teams C-.

Other: Recruiting, B+, Institutional Control, B+, Infrastruture Improvements, B+, Gator Nation "acceptance", B, Optimism for the future, B, Administration support and Buy-In, A-.

The offense looked good at times but as has been brought to our attention, not good enough to make up for deficiencies by defense and special teams against our rivals.

Speaking for myself, I thought Napier was facing a major
re-build, I was following the recruiting board here and Candy and Bobby (and many others) tried to tell us UF was in trouble, BIG TROUBLE.

I'm old enough to know that success in the SEC is not simple, there is usually no "clear path" despite what people think, and is the sum of the efforts of a lot of people and a lot of moving parts.

Oh and least I forget, the University Presidents destroyed the NCAA and the amatuer status of the game, changing it forever, Napier has had to deal with that little consideration as well.

For me, as an impatient, spoiled, and unrealistic "Gator Fan" that demands immediate gratification, I have swallowed my impatience a bit. To quote a famous band: "You don't always get what you want, you get what you need" - and so it was this year.

I will say this - I am SOOOOO impressed with the "man". Napier is cut from some pretty good stuff and I believe the players, recruits and families recognize that. If I understand coachs vision, hard work, committment, pride of ownership and paying the price for the men beside and around you are what will pay off in the end.

I ain't gonna cherry pick every play call or mistake right now. Lets get behind our guy, wrap up a great class, get some transfers in here and build this thing up!

How bout them Gators!!??

Go Gators!!