Alex Anzalone on Coach Napier

That’s ridiculous. I’m not trying to disrupt support. I have repeatedly said I want the same thing as you. I hope we beat Miami into the turf and set aside all discussion on this. Again, I react only to the notion, which seems to repeatedly come up that we should keep Napier around for 2025 even if 2024 is a disaster like the last two years. A new coach gets some grace to his system in, get his players, etc. But I think three consecutive losing seasons (with inexcusable losses to Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Arkansas, and so on) would exceed any expectations of grace or patience. You suggest all of the great changes are happening off screen. That’s fine. I hope that’s true. But they have to eventually translate into tangible results, and we just disagree what “eventually” means. Continuing to blame Mullen for everything that goes wrong in the present has a half-life, and I think we exceeded it a while ago. It’s not Mullen’s fault, for instance, that we can’t count to 11 or have two of the same jersey numbers on the field simultaneously or make bizarre decisions to not have an on-field special teams coach. I think we both want that fixed, but we disagree on how much tolerance there should be in fixing it. I just think his put-up-or-shut-up moment has arrived in 2024, and I don’t think that’s unreasonable or trolling.

 

I didn’t specifically call you a troll, and I don’t think you are one. But you’re sure acting like one right now — suggesting Napier has done “zero” to rebuild is absurd in light of the signing of Lagway, McCray, and the rest of a top 10 haul - plus hiring some stud coaches to upgrade our on-field performance- all of which positions our team well for a rebound season. Equally as absurd is your suggestion of firing yet another coach after only 3 seasons. You’re still posting everything based upon the given that we will have another losing season. What kind of fan does that?

I don’t think you’re a troll but you’re saying some crazy shit the last few days

 

Are you winning an argument? Honestly, I haven’t heard much of an argument. You have implied that we should keep Coach Napier no matter what happens this season, and you suggest great things are happening that we cannot see, and of course you have some ad hominem attacks for anyone, such as myself, who dares to say, “Wait a minute. He has to start winning to get that kind of support.” But I don’t see where you’ve made much of argument, much less have achieved the crushing defeat you seem to think you have. But I’m listening now. Truly. What are the concrete reasons holdouts, such as myself, should support a fourth Napier season without respect to any performance in his third season? You lay it out, and I will not respond except to acknowledge it, and I will not post on this topic again until after the Miami game is over.

 

You support the team and the coach because that’s what fans do. You won’t be in a position to fire or hire anyone. No need to waste all of your time dreaming up scenarios in which either of these things happen.

 

Nah, not winning an argument as much as pushing your silly diversion to ‘emotional’ and ‘anger’ back in your lap. That kind of childish crap probably works great over in TH, but not here.

You’ve created an entire discussion grounded in your certainty that our Gators are destined for another losing season. I got no idea why you’re so freaking obsessed with this conclusion, but you present yourself as a shitty miserable fan.
Maybe nonstop extreme negativity is just your basic nature. I don’t want to ‘dehumanize’ you here

 

Going to clarify this point and one other. However, you interpreted this, what I meant is that the results have not yet ratified any of this rebuilding you say is going on. Therefore, I’m reluctant to commit to a fourth season now, before seeing the results of the third.

Actually, I’m not suggesting that yet. I think Coach Napier fairly should get this season to prove he is the guy to coach this program. However, if the results of this season suggest he is not the guy, then, yes, we would need to move on. That’s business.

 

You have me wrong then. I’m not predicting another losing season, I don’t want one, and I’m not resigned to it. All I’m saying it I won’t accept one as normal, and I won’t continue to have patience for another.

I’ll go back to Ukraine now.

 

Does your definition of “fairly” include bashing him at every turn and pre-determining another losing season 2+ months before our team takes the field?

 

You won’t accept it? What are you gonna do about it? Complain on a message board?

 

I have a salve for this thread. Crush Miami so bad that Mertz is 8 yards from a single game passing record, UF pulls a lay down part deu, Merts gets it. 52 - 17 lol.

 

At the very least.

 

You are right on cue, according to.......wait for it......none other than Billy Napier. He was quite clear when he was hired that many Gator fans would be upset that the results of his make over would take LONGER than fans would like. He asked for patience in advance, stating that he had a plan to build the program for the long term and that, to do it right, results would take a while. A lack of patience is not uncommon.

Now that I have read the whole thread, I can see that you moved the goal post. Clearly you are a caring fan, but, please just cool your jets a bit. You made your point. Let it go.

 

Speaking for me personally, I don't disagree with most of your takes. Where we have disagreed sometimes vehemently is your tendency to bring up Mullen and his recruiting as well as dismissing the absolute train wreck his last year and a half was. You've argued Napier's recruiting hasn't been any better than Mullen's which isn't true once one acknowledges how hollow Mullen's classes were based on risky takes and non participants. Mullen absolutely quit on the team amd also never held himself, coaches or players accountable to the same "gator standard" he preached.

I have the same concerns about Napier's game management you do however I think I'm more forgiving for the roster management and recruiting misses because of the turmoil and chaos that college football has become. I think he has evolved and is still evolving and i also think his recruiting and talent evaluation has been considerably better than some give credit for. For that I think he is all but guaranteed a 4th season as long as there is considerable improvement which doesn't necessarily mean a winning record. I think there are circumstances where a losing record doesn't get him fired but it would take catastrophic injury luck or Swindle level controversies for that to happen.

In the end, schedule strength shouldn't be an excuse and this team should have a winning record so In that we agree.

Taipan is far from a troll but gatorbait23 is a t#$d.

 

Here is our schedule again, in case some of you forgot it. Right click to enlarge the schedule.

Look how many ABC Network Broadcasts we get.

How many wins do you see... post the teams we beat in your opinion.

 

The problem is over football history when you have to build a program from the ground up, you do it by mastering the fundamentals and eliminating mistakes. Teams that are outmanned on the field make it their game plan to play so they don’t beat themselves and make the opponent work the hardest to beat them. Napier’s problem is the team’s fundamentals are poor and they make tons of mistakes. There’s not much precedent for building a program from the ground up with subpar players and sloppy habits and then you suddenly get great players and start winning.

 

This is a good point, that's why I like that fact that Napier got several coaches to address this deficiency in fundamentals. The last coaches we had on the defensive side of the ball were not teaching fundamentals like open field tackling. We got four new coaches on the defensive side of the ball with the plan to go back to the basics and fundamentals of football.

We also got a bunch of experience on the offense (two plug and play receivers) and the defensive side of the ball especially at safety (two very experienced safeties) which was one of our positions of need. O-lineman is shored up and most of the offense is set to go.

Blocking and tackling will be a priority, IMHO as well. I have been hearing great things all the way around about how they are coming together as one team... one unit. And Napier and company landed the 7th ranked (all around counting transfers) class in 2024 is going to help too.

I'm looking forward to seeing several freshman get meaningful playing time, not becasue we're depleted of good quality position players, but because they are so darn good/talented. We have every talented young freshman on our team that will see the field this coming season.

 

I'm sort of on board with what you are saying with a couple differences. First, I like Napier and LOVE how he is representing our university. And, I appreciate how he has raised our level of recruiting (although not to the level of some of the teams that we play all the time), he's getting some dudes.

But, at a certain point the talking and actions need to result in wins, IOW, show me. I'm not saying that he should be fired after this season though. We have a very tough schedule and if we are competitive in those games then that is pretty good. I would say that 80% of our losses to this point were from a lack of recruiting. But it's that 20% that keeps us from being better and that's the coaching (Utah game, extra players on the field, time management and others). It's that 20% that he definitely has control over.

 

The main problem with Napier is he coaches the O and his system is easily defensed by the top D's. Inability to find a good D is also a killer.

 

You and many others screeched at anyone that said Mullen’s job was in jeopardy during the 21 season. Now you folks wanna act like you wanted Mullen fired the entire time.

History is repeating itself. I’d rather be labeled a troll (AKA realistic) over being a Billy Napier Knob Polisher. A lot of you are the latter. Imagine combing to the defense of an 11-14 coach that’s done absolutely nothing here but embarrass our brand.

Be humble.