Alex Anzalone on Coach Napier

I agree with that assessment. Napier started coaching the Gators right at the hardest transitional time in recent memory. The NIL just kicked in, and the cheaters from other schools already had their system set up for years in advance of the Gators... so Napier and company had to play catch-up. And the appearance of tampering or sabotage by our last group of coaches made it seem nearly impossible for Napier to keep all of the best players left over from the last coaching staff. Maybe it was all about the money, who really knows, but we lost players that Napier and his team wanted to keep.

Add to the fact that many of the coaches Napier wanted to hire said no thank you and the slow start was the result. No one is apologizing for two losing seasons but you'd have to be a fool if you think Napier was completely to blame for all those difficulties.

Now we have a new NIL and the UAA and the AD are supporting Napier financially, like they should, and that is viewed in a very positive way by recruits like QB- D.J. Lagway, L.J. McCray and a very talented class of recruits and transfers.

Napier's style and charisma is why Lagway chose to play in Gainesville, and if you read the stories out there on Lagway's recruitment you'll know that many teams offered D.J. ridiculous amounts of cash to flip his commitment at the last second. He didn't and that's becasue he believes in Napier. The Texas teams were all over him and in the end, he still chose Napier and the Gators.

Many people here and elsewhere are mad about our record and Napier has, unfortunately, a losing record right now. All he can do is continue to build the talent level on the team, and all we as fans can do is wait to see the results of his efforts in the up coming season. Two losing seasons in a row sucks, no one is doubting that, but we are heading in the right direction with the right coach. I can't wait. I can't wait to see the product on the field this coming season.

Alex Anzolone knows football... and the things that makes up a good coach. And he's right about coach Napier. All we have to do is give Napier time to develop the talent he has acquired. Speaking of talent acquisition, one thing known about Napier, for sure, is that he is good at the talent acquisition part of his job... And even though it took him nearly 2 years to get off that disadvantage of starting from scratch, he's building a solid SEC football team and program. He's building it from the ground up... with a solid foundation.

 

Well said Rick. We are the biggest idiots on the planet if we run him off before he’s done building this program - from scratch

 

Amen Skink, but im the one who didn’t wanna fire Mushchamp e

 

Building a program from the ground up. Almost as if we started football when he was hired ( yes it was that bad). A coach recycling program takes us into the abyss.

 

I didn’t either just 2 years in. Thought he might work out — except for those sideline tantrums….

 

Saban threw plenty of sideline tantrums, especially when Kiffin was roaming the sidelines with him. He won though, and nobody really cares about the extracurriculars when you’re piling up trophies.

 

Hey Spurrier threw his visor too. I got no problem with a coach showing passion and emotion on the sideline. I’d think something was missing if he didn’t. But Lumpy just freaking lost it to the point that he became a caricature of himself. Way too far over the top. It was actually embarrassing

 

After Zook beat the holes in Ron Zook stadium, i didnt want him fired. If i was the AD, probably no Urban and no NCs that came with Urbans hire. Mullen was the only coach i believed should be let go, due to quitting on the team. the others i was ambivalent, except for Zook

 

Yup, losing your shit on a regular basis isn't just a bad look, it can actually damage the culture and cohesion of a team to see a HC throw one fit after another on the sidelines. Who needs that?

 

Billy Martin style.

 

Spitting in ref's faces was a really bad idea.

 

He did that?

 

Rage spittle right in their face.

 

An inevitable consequence of foaming at the mouth.

 

That could very well be. But the way things look today he has not done any “building” of this program. Year 2 was worse than Year 1, and even Mullen’s worst year (despite the other “narrative” that everything is still his fault) might have been objectively better than either of Napier’s; all of the other ones were, categorically. So while we might be idiots to fire Napier before he has had a fair chance to show success, we would absolutely be idiots not to fire him if this season does not actually show some results of this “building” we keep hearing about but have not seen on the field yet.

 

You lost me in sentence two.
What an absurd, asinine comment

 

It was bad. IMO, Mullen was completely discredited. You NEVER cheat your players. Despise that smug look he has on his face when broadcasting. Good job ESPeeN.

I will never forget his staff throwing the UCF game with Greg Knox on the sideline, arms crossed, failing his players.

 

Very well. Building results in wins, or it isn’t building. Am I going to see these wins this year, or this still, like, something we have to gift him another losing season or two before they start coming in? I just want to manage expectations on behalf of the lifelong Gators who have this absurd, asinine notion that losing seasons are unacceptable and should not be normalized.

 

A HC can emulate a structure from another school. Glad to have it because it was certainly part of Bama's success. That structure is important and we were lacking the foundation. That's a win for UF no matter our HC. But beyond that, coaching is essential. You can have good recruiting and top level coaching and be more successful than having only the structure and support staff absent the coaching, instilled discipline, training, and game management. All great programs have excellent staffs. We remember Bowden doing so well and it turned out he had about four future HCs on staff. But certainly Bowden had almost nothing to do with training, management, game planning. We have to hope Napier's staff serves him well and Napier listens and lets his staff make some good things happen.