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Florida football coach Billy Napier received support from his athletic director and a former SEC football coach on Wednesday in regard to the pending lawsuit against him filed by Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada.
When asked about the Rashada lawsuit at SEC spring meetings in Destin on Wednesday, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin came to Napier’s defense. Napier, former Florida Gators football staffer Marcus Castro-Walker and booster Hugh Hatchcock are being sued by Rashada for fraud over alleged broken promises regarding a botched $13.8 million NIL deal when Rashada committed and signed with UF.
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of trust for Billy – not only in who he is as a person, but how he conducts himself and how he treats other people,” Stricklin said.
Florida was under NCAA Investigation regarding Rashada’s recruitment, but that investigation has since been placed on hold. Stricklin hired Napier to replace Dan Mullen in December of 2022 and Napier has gone 11-14 in his first two years as UF’s coach.
The University of Florida and Florida athletics were not named in the suit, but Florida is providing Napier counsel for the case.
Former Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin, who was fired during the 2022 season, also chimed in about the Napier lawsuit and his job status on social media on Wednesday. Napier said Tuesday he was “comfortable with his actions” when asked about the lawsuit and his recruitment of Rashada.
“I’m comfortable with my actions.”
– Billy Napier
Coach Napier has always handled himself with class. He’s a winner 40-12 at his last program! He’s following 10 years of fired coaches & is working to build some consistency with Florida. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. https://t.co/JjmL5Cp3Sx
— Bryan Harsin (@CoachHarsin) May 29, 2024
“Coach Napier has always handled himself with class,”…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-football-coach-billy-napier-185640482.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-05-29 18:56:40
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