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The hot seat rankings for SEC football coaches are generating buzz, and this year, Florida football head coach Billy Napier finds himself under intense scrutiny, ranked second in The Athletic’s rankings.
The 2024 season was a roller coaster for Napier and the Gators. Early struggles had many questioning his fit and future with the team. However, a mid-season resurgence, fueled in part by the emergence of quarterback DJ Lagway, offered a glimmer of hope and potentially a turning point for the program.
Lagway’s dynamic play sparked a notable improvement in the team’s performance, leading to some unexpected victories that momentarily cooled the hot-seat discussions.
Yet, the pressure is far from over. Florida’s daunting schedule, especially in the first half where they have to play LSU and Miami in back-to-back road games before a home test against the Texas Longhorns, is the main reason why The Athletic has Napier so high up on their rankings.
What The Athletic said about Napier
“This seemed over in September, and yet somehow Napier made it, with a spark from DJ Lagway being a big help,” The Athletic sports writer Seth Emerson notes. “Who knows, maybe last season was a turning point. But if the Gators have another rough start — and the first-half schedule is rough — Florida has to decide whether to let Napier, 45, ride it out again.”
The Athletic’s hot seat rankings for SEC coaches
Kirby Smart (Georgia Bulldogs)
Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss Rebels)
Steve Sarkisian (Texas Longhorns)
Josh Heupel (Tennessee Volunteers)
Shane Beamer (South Carolina Gamecocks)
Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri Tigers)
Mike Elko (Texas A&M Aggies)
Clark Lea (Vanderbilt Commodores)
Kalen DeBoer (Alabama Crimson Tide)
Jeff Lebby (Mississippi State Bulldogs)
Hugh Freeze (Auburn Tigers)
Brian Kelly (LSU Tigers)
Mark Stoops (Kentucky Wildcats)
Brent Venables (Oklahoma…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/where-athletic-ranks-florida-footballs-173231367.html
Author : Gators Wire
Publish date : 2025-02-25 17:32:00
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