Former Gators HC Billy Napier Targeted by Two Schools

Former Florida head coach Billy Napier was fired on Oct. 19 and recently replaced by Jon Sumrall.

Former Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier finished his tenure with a 22-23 record in nearly four full seasons. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

A month after his firing from the Florida Gators, Billy Napier was named as a potential candidate at North Texas.

After the Mean Green hired Neal Brown, Napier is now a finalist to be a head coach at two Group of Five schools, including one with current ties to the Gators.

Napier on Thursday was tabbed as a person of interest for the James Madison head coaching job, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, while also being a finalist for the open head coaching job at Tulane. He is one of five candidates who have interviewed to replace outgoing head coach Jon Sumrall, according to the New Orleans Advocate's Guerry Smith.

Other candidates of note at Tulane include LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, Southern Miss head coach Charlie Huff and Green Wave passing game coordinator Will Hall.

Sumrall, of course, was introduced as Napier's replacement at Florida on Monday.

Former Florida head coach Billy Napier has emerged as a person of interest for the James Madison head coaching job, sources tell @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/vGo98GuXvd

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 4, 2025

While Napier's tenure at Florida marked one of the worst head coaching jobs in the program's history with a 22-23 record across nearly four seasons, his Group of Five experience makes him an ideal candidate for either job.

In four seasons at Louisiana (2018-21), Napier went 40-12 with a pair of Sun Belt Conference titles and two other Sun Belt West Division titles. He went 27-5 in conference play, including an 8-0 finish in 2021, with two bowl wins and two seasons where the Ragin' Cajuns finished ranked in the final AP Poll.

No matter where he ends up between the two schools, Napier will have big shoes to fill.

Sumrall is 42-11 in his two seasons with Tulane with a pair of American Conference title game berths. The Green Wave will play North Texas for the conference title on Friday as Sumrall remains with the program until the end of their season. A win would propel the Green Wave to the College Football Playoff.

Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall was recently hired as Billy Napier's replacement at Florida. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, James Madison's two most recent head coaches have turned their tenures with the Dukes into Power Four coaching gigs. Bob Chesney, also once a candidate at Tulane, is reported to be the next head coach at UCLA after two seasons. He is currently 12-5 in his tenure, and the Dukes will play for a Sun Belt Conference title this weekend.

Before him, Curt Cignetti coached at JMU for five seasons, recording a 52-9 record, before becoming the head coach at Indiana in 2024. The Hoosiers are ranked No. 2 in the country and will play in their second CFP in as many seasons under Cignetti.

At Florida, the Gators moved on from Napier with Sumrall, a move criticized by the fanbase after the program pulled out of the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes for a candidate eerily similar to Napier.

However, Sumrall quelled some of the fanbase's concerns with promises to hire an offensive coordinator and hire the best candidates rather than friends, while asking the fan base not to let their past reservations stop them from trusting him.

"No two people are the same," he said. "… Judge me for who I am. I'm a winner. We're going to win. Just give me a shot. Believe in me."