Here’s What I Would Do If I Were Stricklin

That does suck but we don’t need more of a cluster.

 

There is no if at question, only a when. Napier is coaching for his next job now, and I’m fine with letting him do it so long as he does not further embarrass the program by losing to either UCF or Kentucky. I’m a realist on the rest of the games, but if he loses either one of those, he should be fired before the press conference. Stricklin should take the questions while Napier gets a head start on putting all of the things in his office into a set of boxes.

 

I have bad news, I don’t think that BN or SS are going anywhere anytime soon. Just a hunch, and I pray to God that I am wrong.

 

Please present the realistic scenario in which Napier remains head coach in 2025.

 

Kidding. Maybe.

 

Need a little more than that. What’s the actual scenario where Stricklin thinks he can get away with it without an open revolt from the stakeholders?

 

Which is how you end up with Ron Roberts. Oh, while also still paying Billy’s boy Armstrong a million bucks to do absolutely nothing.

Don’t forget Hocke and Couch. Ridiculous.

 

Bingo. Billy had his chance and he missed. Game over.

 

From someone that lived in Johnson City, TN at the time - maybe he was full of it, or maybe he wasn't.

 

Read the fine print

 

It was a simple, direct question. We all know Billy has a contract and that his contract has a buyout. Word is, the boosters already have the money. And if they have that much money they have enough to influence a boycott that Stricklin cannot ignore. So I’ll ask again, what’s the scenario where Stricklin feels like he can get away with giving Napier a fourth — ultimately doomed — season? How many wins does Napier need? Who can he not lose to? Who must he stay competitive with?

 

It was a joke.

 

In that case, I’ll wait for @workemsillyg8rs to answer with a realistic scenario. I don’t see one frankly.

 

The scenario is basically similar to the one that occurred when Muschamp was here:

• Win at least a couple more prior to mid-season. That would mean 2 of 3 UCF, UTk, or KY which would give him a winning record at that point.
• Have some key injuries during/at the end of that stretch and/or some guys decided to go ahead and get that needed minor surgery post UCF. One domino has fallen already.
  
• Stricklin feels sorry for poor ole Billy and convinces an Interim Prez that it would be more cost effective to give SBBN another season because of all the injuries and, ahem, $26M.

Unfortunately, the above scenario is possible even though its a longshot. Our OL might get Mertz killed and Lagway is just getting his feet wet. Also unfortunately, it will probably crater the program even more than letting SBBN go after this season. It would be like having 2 transition recruiting seasons in a row because everyone knows its not getting turned around and he is effectively a dead coach walking.

 

There may be no new president until after the legislative session in May when they can fix the public records disclosure requirements. The way things are currently set up, it would be public record if a candidate submits an application or interviews. This is just what I have been told, so don't shoot the messenger. I think because of this, SS and BN will get another year. It sucks to be a Gator fan right now. I hope this is not the case.

 

In my opinion, you have described environmental conditions, not a scenario. Now, granted, those conditions complicate firing Napier, but they don’t preclude it. For extreme instance, if either Napier or Stricklin appeared this week in a totally unexpected inappropriate light, then the interim president is going to say, “Gosh, I’d love to act, but the legislature doesn’t meet till next May …” Of course not. If things get hot enough (and they almost certainly will), pressure is going to exceed Stricklin’s ability to alleviate it, and he will have to fire Napier. What happens next with Stricklin’s career or whether the new hiring decision will fall to a committee is anyone’s guess, but Napier will be done.

In terms of a plausible (though hardly probable) scenario, this is how Napier might earn a fourth season: victories against UCF and Kentucky without fail (losing to either means it’s over right after the game); has to win two out of three against LSU, Ole Miss, and SWAC; the only way he survives a loss at SWAC is if the football gods deliver him an upset against UGA, Texas, or Tennessee.

 

In your extreme example, both SS and BN would be fired for cause. There would be no buyouts and really no reason for the interim president to act. It would be an HR issue.

When it comes to the legislature meeting, this does hamper our ability to hire a new president as no seated president is going to risk their current employer knowing that they have interest elsewhere. The fact that ESD is in roughly 60 days and the portal opens around the same time, means that there is no time to hire a new AD and SS will not be hiring the next HC. He has cost the university tens of millions of dollars and he will be held accountable. With that being said, who leads the search for a new coach? We are in a perfect storm and that leads to SS and BN getting another year IMO. Hopefully, the next pres has an interest in athletics and hires a competant AD to conduct our search for the right guy. This sucks for all Gator fans! What a mess.

 

I don't understand this post. A hunch is not news. It's a non-factual guess.

 

Thus the reason I included that it was ”just a hunch”. Thanks for the definition though. I think we can all agree on what a hunch is thanks to you. Hopefully that clears it up for you.