**Buzz Buzz Buzz** - How did we get here?

–Billy Napier (2022-present): 1-10 (FSU, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Tennessee)
–Dan Mullen (2018-21): 9-6 (FSU, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Tennessee)
–Jim McElwain (2015–17): 5-6 (FSU, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee)
–Will Muschamp (2011–2014): 7-10 (FSU, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Tennessee)
–Urban Meyer (2005–10): 20-5 (FSU, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Tennessee)

 

We looked better at the end of last season too until Mertz went down and then we still got off to a dismal start this year. I've seen this movie before.

Credit where credit is due: He's built a good culture around the program but we are still in a precarious situation, nonetheless.

 

Of course our situation is precarious. There are no guarantees no matter which way we go. But how about learning from the past for once instead of repeating it?

 

Repeating an error from the past would be gifting a coach a 4th year who has already shown what he is (not) capable of ala Muschamp. Instead of just one year of recruiting tanked, it'll be 2 in a row and we'll be right back at this point next year.

 

March on man

 

It’s looking like 2013 all over again.

 

I'm looking in the standings, where does playing a team close count as a win in the column.
Can anyone else direct me to the standings that show points for losing, but winning at some point during the game.

and all this "great effort, not quitting etc" Where the hell was the effort in week 1, when you had an entire off season to prepare.
where was this effort against a&m who was playing a backup QB against us.
Its D1 SEC football, effort should be a damn given -- never should have to question effort. We are talking about the elite of the elite athletes in a sport, it should never have to questioned, at a minimum, you put on the gator jersey, and every Saturday, you give it your all

We've heard it all - his scout team was underprepared, how many times have we had 12 men on the field for an offensive or special teams play, players wearing the same numbers, horrible clock management. This team is mismanaged, and the dude is learning how to be a head coach on the fly. He's in over his head trying to be the OC and the head coach.

Also -- Warner was not our 3rd string qb going into this weekend, he had 2 full weeks to prepare as the 2nd string QB, knowing there is a good chance you will have to come in at some point. There is nothing like real life action, but football is always been about Monday - Friday and the preparation.

We have the jimmy's and joes, this team has talent -- you will never will consistently, when on any given Saturday the other teams coach is better than yours and better prepared.

 

What makes you think they didn’t work Warner last week as #2 to Lagway? You’re just assuming that with zero basis in fact. Hell, Warner drove the team on a game tying TD drive against Georgia’s vaunted defense. But let’s go ahead and forget all that and fire Billy because we sucked in our season opener over 2 months ago. Brilliant!

 

Weaksauce arguments from haters aside, let's be real there is definitely an argument to be made for canning Billy. Nobody's forgetting what happened against UGA, they're remembering everything that led up to it. I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that a guy who struggled mightily with getting on field personnel correct, to this day still struggles to get the plays in on time, and put a terrible product on the field for multiple games in year three of his tenure should be shown the door. Yes, he has improved. Has he improved enough to keep despite the previous suckage? That's really the question and I don't blame people for being on either side of that one.

I will say if they've turned off NIL as some have claimed then they pretty much have to fire him. Can't keep a guy that's hamstrung.

 

All true and rational. That needs to be balanced with the uncertainty associated with hiring yet another guy. There are precious few options out there who look like sure bets.

Another question: what really good coach is going to want to give up his gig for a program that’s run off 4 coaches inside of 11 years, with the last one not even getting 3 seasons to turn around the train wreck left in the wake of the previous 3?

Who would want to work for this shit show right now? Giving Billy a 4th year may in fact be our safest play. Desperation hires rarely work out

 

Lane is a good choice, don't forget about Cignetti.

 

All true. But, just as people rightly critique those going easy on Napier we should also expect more from the people above Napier.

They get big money too, and lots of power and prestige without nearly the 24/7 under than magnifying glass that a head coach receives.

They ALL need to step up.

But, sadly I have already long suspect that they are going to kick the can down the road. Unless the team completely quits on Napier (I think they have already shown they wont) he will be back at the start of next season.

The real telling changes need to happen above him before the start of next season. That is the only way we can hope to reliably attract the right sort of replacement if/when that time comes. No way the powers that be turn this clean program over to a Hail Mary/loose cannon hire.

IMO Napier has shown that he does not have 'it.' He may slowly bring this program around and get us to consistent winning seasons, but I do not see him ever getting us to the top of the heap.

 

Lane is a bad choice. The guy is 100% douchebag. He runs a good offense and he can recruit. He’s 3-2 against respectable teams, including a loss to Kentucky. Good but not great. If it wasn’t for the douche factor I’d feel differently. But he’s trolled us multiple times and is probably the league leader in faking injuries. He dumped Tenn after what, 2 games to bolt for the league. Zero integrity. Good but not great coach. Poor character. No thanks.

Cignetti? Of course. But he’s not going to be available until probably January.

 

While you may be right, the same concern was raised after each of our previous firings, and each time, we were able to make hire without much of a wait. Was it messy behind the scenes? I have no real idea, but wouldn't be surprised if it was.

In general, though, I think the combination of high salary on our side and high ego on theirs has and will be sufficient to field plenty of viable candidates. We might pay a premium, but we're sort of doing that already in a round about way. And most head coaches at this level believe they will be successful. While our track record may give some pause, most of these guys think they're the ones who can make it work, whether they're right about their self assessment or not.

 

Cuz everyone nationally thought we should have kept anyone we fired. Right?

 

Oh for sure we made hires after firing — all bad hires too. I’m talking about hiring a rock star. Anything less than a Cignetti-level hire and it’s just another shovel full of dirt out of the hole we got ourselves in by doing exactly what many here want to do again now

 

Jim McElwain's record as head coach of the Florida Gators was 22-12 over two and a half seasons:


Jim McElwain's record as Florida Gators head coach
Overall record
22-12
SEC Eastern Division titles
2 (2015, 2016)

2017 McElwain's recruiting class was #1 and include Jamar Chase

18 of McElwain's recruits went on to play in the NFL

McElwain was promised facilities. After he took us to 2 championship games UF balked at facilities... McElwain was trying to get fired.

McElwain was Billy Napier's mentor and friend.

Billy napier got EVERYTHING in writing including a massive buyout(26 million this year) so he could get 5 years to build a program.

 

Here's the error in your logic:

Florida is 69th in the nation out of 133 in total offense
Florida is 81st in the nation out of 133 in total defense

And we're not even halfway through the gauntlet. So these rankings are likely going to worsen. Our best win, from which you are attempting to build a case for "clear evidence that Napier is in fact starting to turn this program around," is over Kentucky: ranked 123rd out of 133 in total offense. You're literally taking one win over a very bad team who will finish 1-7 in the SEC this year as the basis for improvement. I'm sorry, but getting doubled up in total yardage by Georgia doesn't lead me to believe it either.

You continue stating things, as if they are a fact, when the evidence says differently. And by any measure, in year #3, to be ranked that low in total offense and total defense, having not yet completed the most difficult part of our schedule... he's a failure.

 

Cignetti is impressive. Forum cites his SunBelt resume, but he took over a program with no legacy, poor facilities, below and average recruiting base, and average talent.