The Next Coach of the Florida Gators will be...

Post Script:
I finally was able, on a Friday night, SIX DAYS AFTER THE ACTUAL (Tennessee) GAME, able to suffer through the RE-living of frustration and disappointment that whole Gator fans' day-AFTER angst here with Aly Peak's "open-mike"/"Air your gripes!" presentation displayed. Here on the night BEFORE THE KENTUCKY GAME!...The FIRST time (last weekend) I could only take a call or two before having to bail, overwhelmed by all I was still digesting at that point.
I think Aly herself and most of the callers all make valid, reasonable points--showing more perspective and fairness at that point (almost a full WEEK ago now) than I could have managed at that point.
The biggest underlying concepts here seem to be: "TIME IS UP!", "Billy, YOU chose NOT to bring in an OC here in your THIRD SEASON", and
"Given your lack of skill, depth OR flexibility in play-calling", THE END IS AT HAND.
You have only your SELF to blame.

The problem with Napier is that he does everything right before the game, but in the game he is absolutely horrible. He needs an offensive coordinator not because the offense is bad, but because he calls the right plays at the wrong time and the wrong plays at the right time.

Furthermore, UF can protect itself from in inevitable coaching carousel turmoil by hiring a general manager who is above the head coach. Napier could be a great general manager, but he is not an SEC caliber head coach. He is not a power conference quality offensive coordinator. He is fine at everything else.

Escambia94 said:

The problem with Napier is that he does everything right before the game, but in the game he is absolutely horrible. He needs an offensive coordinator not because the offense is bad, but because he calls the right plays at the wrong time and the wrong plays at the right time.

Furthermore, UF can protect itself from in inevitable coaching carousel turmoil by hiring a general manager who is above the head coach. Napier could be a great general manager, but he is not an SEC caliber head coach. He is not a power conference quality offensive coordinator. He is fine at everything else.

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I understand your thinking by now, E--...
But here's the problem: By all I am hearing behind the scenes, despite his humble outer facade, Billy is COMPLETELY CONVINCED THAT HE IS THE SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM.
THAT is why he refuses to hire an OC, and word is that no one around hIm believes he will use one properly in ANY event--that he will ever even FOLLOW an OC's plans or recommendations if he were forced to accept one. Ditto for some "General Manager" (or whatever ELSE they impose from above) who is brought in to essentially accomplish the same thing.
And what is his "terrible ultimate punishment" if he dares to stubbornly outright REFUSE such a conditional continuance here?
A 25 MILLION DOLLAR BUY OUT??!
Um...Yeah, nice "whiphand", Mr.Strickland.

DRU2012 said:

I understand your thinking by now, E--...
But here's the problem: By all I am hearing behind the scenes, despite his humble outer facade, Billy is COMPLETELY CONVINCED THAT HE IS THE SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM.
THAT is why he refuses to hire an OC, and word is that no one around hIm believes he will use one properly in ANY event--that he will ever even FOLLOW an OC's plans or recommendations if he were forced to accept one. Ditto for some "General Manager" (or whatever ELSE they impose from above) who is brought in to essentially accomplish the same thing.
And what is his "terrible ultimate punishment" if he dares to stubbornly outright REFUSE such a conditional continuance here?
A 25 MILLION DOLLAR BUY OUT??!
Um...Yeah, nice "whiphand", Mr.Strickland.

Click to expand...

To be fair, Scott Stricklin is not at fault for the contract. Sports agents like Jimmy Sexton know that this is the going rate for an elite football program. Look at every coach whose team is consistently in the top 10. They all make top 10 money.

Escambia94 said:

To be fair, Scott Stricklin is not at fault for the contract. Sports agents like Jimmy Sexton know that this is the going rate for an elite football program. Look at every coach whose team is consistently in the top 10. They all make top 10 money.

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OK...I admit to a real gut-level grudge against offering that kind of back-end "reward for failure" in a contract--whomever offered it.
So let's put THAT part of the above aside...
Saturday's eventual beat down of UK is NOT to be mistaken for Billy turning any kind of CORNER here.
First of all, it was a closer game than the final score might indicate; watch the replay...we could have easily been BEHIND 28-27 well into the 3rd quarter, DESPITE outplaying ANOTHER SEC team.
Then there was the same old gutless "three straight dives into the line" to try to run out the clock the last 2 minutes of the first half.
We just gave up a careless 99 yard kickoff return in a game we HAD lately been dominating on BOTH SIDES of the ball. Our hot Lagway-led offense had been operating like the proverbial "hot knife through butter", we had plenty of time and times out AND the kid was throwing DARTS wherever he aimed them, but we get the same old conservative "Billy Bad Ball" run run run PUNT there--because his "analytics card" (upon which his lengthy losing record at UF has continued to develop) TELLS HIM that's the right thing to DO there. The crowd in the Swamp boos and Billy scratches his head--just cannot figure WHY...
And about that "99 yd return"...between continued special team breakdowns, along with MORE "illegal substitution" and "too many men on the field" penalties, the SMALL-but-nonetheless-DAMAGING DETAILS continue to threaten what progress is made.
The guy IS "THE WORST GAME-COACH WE'VE EVER HAD!"--You were exactly right in declaring that near-halftime Saturday, E--.
He has to go, man. That hasn't changed.
Oh, if we happened to WIN these last five games he'd be picked up. I can see THAT...Won't change much in the long run EXCEPT give us one more losing season, IMHO--but were that to be how the rest if this season goes, I would understand and grudgingly accept its inevitability.
But I don't see that coming to pass, I am truly sad to say. "Sad"? Of COURSE: As a Gator, do you not think I would be overJOYED along with every OTHER Gator at such a miraculous turn around?
Because "MIRACULOUS" is exactly what it would BE! Bloody HELL I would TAKE IT, however it came to be.
In the long run, big picture though, you don't wanna find yourselves counting on "miracles" for consistent success in the SEC.
No, "talent" and "coaching" (and OK, a LITTKE "luck" here and there) are what will get you there and perhaps sustain such success.
We don't have enough of ANY of them yet here.
STARTING maybe to reach that "magic boiling poing" with respect to one of thise, "TALENT"; But in this new system that can come (and GO) rather quickly. If we don't get the right Coach in here FAST, that'll slip away too.
Get 'em BOTH in and the rest will take care of itself.