Welcome home, fellow Gator.

The Gator Nation's oldest and most active insider community
Join today!

Florida strength coach Craig Fitzgerald accepts same position at Boston College

Discussion in 'RayGator's Swamp Gas' started by GoCocks3877, Feb 11, 2024.

  1. eightiesgator

    eightiesgator GC Hall of Fame

    1,374
    375
    1,883
    Oct 16, 2017
    I'm not sure it's even a 50/50 shot. Fitz signs with Florida and has severe misgivings about his job security. I could hear his conversation to himself...

    * Billy's a great guy, but there is talk about the environment here;

    * Recruiting is pretty good for Florida, but it could drop in a day (15th overall but 8th in the SEC and 3d in the state);

    * The Portal is always a crapshoot;

    * Florida Victorious isn't exactly opening up the bank vaults for NIL;

    * Haven't had a consistently strong team in 15 years;

    * Last two seasons were losing seasons for a team that is usually strong, and 2024 has Florida potentially playing their toughest schedule in 20 years, and the toughest in the nation.

    * Not sure of Billy can survive three straight losing seasons, even if every opponent is as good as Georgia;

    * Florida's fanbase is among the most passionate and demanding in the nation;

    * If Billy gets fired, the new head coach would want his own people;

    * I have plenty of money, but job security is still important to my family;

    ***RING! RING!!*** "Hi, Fitz, it's Bill. I just got hired at Boston College, and I seriously doubt I will be fired in three years. I'll pay you as much as Florida if possible, and you can also have the peace of mind to know that no one is going to ride my nuts to get rid of me. Job security is yours for the asking! We need you here..."

    I know this is not popular to the "how DARE he? Doesn't he know we are Da Mighty Gators" crowd, but everyone has to weigh all the options...
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  2. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

    16,178
    4,148
    3,088
    Jan 18, 2015
    And he probably has a job already. Make him an offer offer. He can’t refuse.
     
  3. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

    16,178
    4,148
    3,088
    Jan 18, 2015
    I’m sure that’s a very likely scenario, but anybody who accepts a job and quits five weeks later is still a shithead
     
    • Agree Agree x 6
    • Winner Winner x 2
  4. Claygator

    Claygator GC Hall of Fame

    4,413
    808
    2,568
    Apr 11, 2007
    He should have thought about that before he took the job. Nothing changed with Billy's program during the five weeks he was here.
     
    • Agree Agree x 5
    • Winner Winner x 2
    • Fistbump/Thanks! Fistbump/Thanks! x 1
  5. eightiesgator

    eightiesgator GC Hall of Fame

    1,374
    375
    1,883
    Oct 16, 2017
    Don't know the entire story. If I began a job, only to learn that it is basically an organization of rats fleeing a sinking ship, I'd bolt as soon as I could, and I suspect you and most people would do the same.
     
    • Come On Man Come On Man x 2
  6. eightiesgator

    eightiesgator GC Hall of Fame

    1,374
    375
    1,883
    Oct 16, 2017
    Maybe he didn't think it was as bad as it MAY be before he arrived.
     
    • Come On Man Come On Man x 1
  7. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

    16,178
    4,148
    3,088
    Jan 18, 2015
    Looks like he is the only rat fleeing the ship
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  8. Matthanuf06

    Matthanuf06 GC Hall of Fame

    12,572
    592
    673
    Sep 13, 2007
    Im a Florida Gator fan. I was a huge fan of the Napier hire. I am still a Napier fan. I want Florida to win every game. I’m also a realist.

    If we win 6 games he should be fired, if he wins more he should be kept, if he wins them all we should build a statue. Virtually everyone in the college football world agrees with that statement. It is only on GC where some people think we should keep him if he turns in a third losing season. Thats not hate.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Funny Funny x 1
    • Winner Winner x 1
  9. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

    16,178
    4,148
    3,088
    Jan 18, 2015
    Why don’t you list the seven teams on that schedule that you feel like Napier should beat.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  10. Matthanuf06

    Matthanuf06 GC Hall of Fame

    12,572
    592
    673
    Sep 13, 2007
    Yep it’s a no brainer job security wise.

    The job hopping thing doesn’t hurt him because if BOB gets fired he’d have been there for at least 4 years.

    The reasons not to take it is it’s probably a paycut (but he has to factor in the odds of him losing his job) and the odds of Napier winning a title is still greater than BOB.

    If we beat Ark and Mizzou I bet he is still here and that we have a top 5 recruiting class. It is what it is
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  11. Matthanuf06

    Matthanuf06 GC Hall of Fame

    12,572
    592
    673
    Sep 13, 2007
    I have before. And obviously no game is 100% win or 100% lose. But in Y3 you should be a top 15-25 team at minimum. I’m talking about our play not the actual ranking.

    Only UGA and Texas are clearly above that.

    Samford, Kentucky, Miss St are clearly below that. So 3-2 there

    Everyone else is kind of right in that range. LSU maybe a little better and someone like UCF/Miami closer to the bottom. 4-3 or 3-4 is the baseline there.

    The problem is you are looking at the schedule from a lense of a shitty team. Of course a shitty team is going to get wrecked. I’m looking at it from what should a coach in Year 3 with it being 100% his program at UF do. The bar shouldn’t be lowered because Napier lowered it the last two years.

    Top 15-25 in Y3 is incredibly reasonable.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
    • Optimistic Optimistic x 1
  12. Claygator

    Claygator GC Hall of Fame

    4,413
    808
    2,568
    Apr 11, 2007
    And maybe he has acid reflux and prilosec is cheaper in Boston.
     
    • Funny Funny x 4
  13. thom1507

    thom1507 All American

    435
    198
    1,708
    Oct 13, 2019
    I'm just wondering why anyone thinks job security had anything to do with his decision to leave. This is a guy who barely stays anywhere past two years anyway even when things are good. He's not shown any desire for long term stability up until now. Why would he change now?

    He's known in the business so don't think he'd have any problem picking up employment even if BN is potentially fired next year. Do you think O'Brien wouldn't give him a job next year?
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Disagree Bacon! Disagree Bacon! x 2
  14. gatorpa

    gatorpa GC Hall of Fame

    11,337
    1,010
    698
    Sep 5, 2010
    East Coast of FL
    Loads of them at Non 5 P schools…
     
  15. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

    16,178
    4,148
    3,088
    Jan 18, 2015
    Being the 20th best team could possibly get you seven losses. This isn’t most years where we play four decent teams and we suck and go 8-4. If we suck this year, it could be really embarrassing. Let’s hope some of the teams on our schedule aren’t as good as they might be. It’s possible to have 5-6 top ten teams on our schedule.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  16. MarineG8R

    MarineG8R GC Hall of Fame

    3,696
    1,508
    2,648
    Nov 19, 2014
    Boston>Gainesville ;)
     
  17. gatorpjb

    gatorpjb All American

    355
    307
    1,773
    Jan 1, 2021
    Lithia, Florida
    Well Prilosec shouldn’t be taken long term… so you may be on to something.
     
  18. gbranton

    gbranton GC Legend

    I worked a job four hours once, went to lunch on the first day and never went back.
     
    • Fistbump/Thanks! Fistbump/Thanks! x 1
  19. Gatorchip

    Gatorchip All American

    383
    118
    1,853
    Feb 3, 2010
    There is more to it than just an offer from a friend. It’s not even a parallel move.

    I’ve had offers like that before, shortly after taking a new job, and I’ve never left. However, if I had found the new job wasn’t as I expected, then I would have considered it.

    The few comments about him having a history of this is nonsense. His prior shortest stint was 2 YEARS. He barely stayed a month here. Not the same…
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  20. LTG61

    LTG61 GC Legend

    986
    214
    1,783
    Apr 10, 2007
    Not picking on you at all. But, one of the OL coaches just left today. Hopefully, not the beginning of a trend.