Similar Paths and Expectations, Different Results for Florida's Napier and Texas' Sarkisian

Florida's Billy Napier and Texas' Steve Sarkisian have had some overlap in their respective careers, but the results couldn't be more different.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier previously worked together at Alabama. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian share a similar approach.

Each coach is an offensive-minded leader that wants his scheme to work and attempts to find players to do so. Yet, they share another less flattering bond. The coaches reside in the crucible of pressure and expectation. Saturday's game will take a little heat off one while forcing the other to endure another.

Napier and Sarkisian Reside at Different Career Points but Similar Scrutiny

From the outside, you'd think that Sarkisian and Napier would not possess much in common. However, look at where they coach. Sarkisian sits at the helm of a university in a state that sees football as a religion. Marquee football universities, at least in the past, that remain desperate to reclaim their spot among the gridiron elite.

Equally, each team's fanbase and donor class do not tolerate extended bouts of losing. Remember, Texas sent Mack Brown away after winning a national championship, ten out of 15 bowl games, and 76.7 percent of his games. Meanwhile, the Gators jettisoned Dan Mullen after two bowl wins in four years and a .694 win percentage. In Texas and Florida, good is not good enough, and great is the bare minimum.

Texas reached the College Football Playoff when only four teams advanced. Yet, the whispers about Sarkisian's chances of staying in Austin grew louder. Sarkisian signs a lucrative contract extension, and the whispers do not dissipate. Unrealistic expectations and SEC football run hand-in-hand.

In State Competition

Napier's recruiting backyard is the state of Florida, where talent seems to exist at every high school from Pensacola to Homestead. Yet, in the recruiting pie, the Gators coach contends with other greedy hands from in-state rivals. Miami and Florida State attempt to pick off elite talent. Next, schools like South Florida and UCF continue to build by slicing into the scene as well. You just know that the USF loss could eventually cost the Gators a player or two, the price for playing in-state teams.

Similarly, Sarkisian will never lock down Texas due to its enormous size and number of schools within its borders and externally that camp out looking to pilfer talent. Texas A&M remains a perennial thorn in their side due to their ability to spend as well. Houston, TCU, and Baylor, to a lesser extent, can offer players lucrative deals as well.

However, their stiffest competition could come from a school that resides in the middle of nowhere. Texas Tech, as seen here, enjoys an influx of cash that grants them access to the best players and will go toe-to-toe with the Longhorns. Sarkisian and Napier share the stress.

Office Space

Napier and Sarkisian coached together at the University of Alabama in 2016. As a result, they are familiar with each other and how the other works. Despite UF's offense sputtering and lacking rhythm, the Texas head coach explained he expects more from the Gators and their coach on Saturday.

“It probably hasn't gone the way Coach Napier and everybody would have liked,” Sarkisian said. “But what I do know is the talent is still in there, and so we better be mindful, and we better be ready to get the best version of DJ Lagway. I know the competitive way he plays, and I know the competitor that he is. I know the coach that Billy is, and they've been scheming people up. They just maybe haven't been hitting them here the first few games.”

That's not glad-handing or humility; film shows that the Gators have talent all over the offense. Don't expect the Gators to catch Texas sleeping.

Bottom Line

For Florida to win Saturday's game, the offense needs to play like their talent dictates they can. Additionally, the head coach needs to call sharper plays and not be afraid of throwing beyond the sticks in crucial situations. Meanwhile, Texas needs to prevent that. A win for Florida gives Napier a few days to take a deep breath. In contrast, a loss draws the potential pink slip closer.