Gators' Billy Napier Responds to Brian Kelly's Hot Seat Comments

Kelly previously called the hot seat talks against Billy Napier "crazy."

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is, once again, facing outside hot seat talks. | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Earlier this week, LSU head coach Brian Kelly called the hot-seat talks about Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier "crazy."

"He's a really good football coach," Kelly said. "He knows his team. He knows what their strengths and weaknesses are. You can see it on film. He's building a culture that is fit to his eye in terms of what he wants to do. He's doing it his way, and that's awesome."

On Wednesday, Florida head coach Billy Napier responded to Kelly's praise and detailed the relationship between the two coaches.

"I think all of us have been kind of going through college with all the new details the last couple of years," Napier said. "I would say in our profession, over the last three or four years, I think we have seen that group collaborate, dialogue and understand what each one of us is going through in terms of changes in our game. We have been working together to try and come up with solutions. I think that has allowed us to build better relationships with each other."

Napier further explained the conversations he has with other SEC coaches as well as other who are also part of the AFCA.

"It’s been a pretty volatile couple of years in terms of what the game has become with the acquisition and attrition of players has been quite the adventure," Napier said. "We have been going through that together. So, I think there is a healthy respect for those parts of what we did.”

That acquisition and attrition of players, for better or worse, has directly played into Napier's attempted rebuild of Florida's program and culture shift. Kelly, who was hired at LSU the same year Napier was hired at Florida, sees a difference in the Gators from when they first met in 2022.

Kelly also understands Napier's rebuild attempts after taking over the LSU football program from a national championship-winning head coach in Ed Orgeron.

"Billy's come in after two or three other head coaches that changed the way the other coaches did it. And now he's starting to stabilize that program," Kelly said. "So people talk about whatever they want. It's crazy. It takes you what it takes, and he'll get that thing where he wants it. I think he's got it right now. They beat us last year."

Napier, despite his efforts, has failed to establish consistency on the field. After last year's four-game win streak dispelled hot seat talks for the time being, it only took two games for those talks to return after last week's loss to USF.

Florida's schedule does not help either, with trips to No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Miami up next before a home game against No. 7 Texas.

“Look, this thing, we have work to do in front of us. We have a lot of football ahead," Napier said Monday. "I would expect nothing less, right? It comes with the territory, OK? There’s no scenario where you’re not going to be criticized when you lose like that. We understand that. I think it’s part of it. I think the key is that we take ownership. We don’t make excuses. We’re solution-oriented. We stick together, and we work on our plan to improve and get better in some of those areas. We’re gonna find out. That’s what I would say.”

Kickoff against the Tigers in Death Valley is at 7:30 p.m. ET with television coverage on ABC.