Why Former Florida HC Billy Napier Visited Georgia's Practice

Billy Napier and Kirby Smart have a long-standing relationship.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and former Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier previously coached together at Alabama. | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Less than a month after being fired as the head coach of the Florida Gators, Billy Napier was confirmed to be at rival Georgia Bulldogs’ practice Tuesday.

Napier, who was terminated at Florida on Oct. 19 with a 22-23 record in just under four seasons in Gainesville, is a Georgia native with long-standing ties to Bulldogs’ head coach Kirby Smart. While he spent his time in the Orange and Blue facing off against the Dawgs and Smart as fierce rivals, their relationship has remained strong despite the historic animosity between their programs.

“Billy's a good friend of mine. We've coached together for years. People don't understand the relationships in coaches," Smart said of Napier during Wednesday's SEC Coaches Teleconference. "Coaches have a brotherhood and a fraternity together, and his dad was good friends with my dad. His dad was really good friends with Coach Bobo, and we all grew up in the state of Georgia. Our fathers coached in high school football, were well-respected people, and he's been a friend for a long time. So he dropped by, yeah, but that was really it.”

Former Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier previously coached receivers at Alabama while Kirby Smart was the defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The relationship between Napier and Smart extends far beyond their encounters in Jacksonville, as both coaches worked at Alabama under Nick Saban early in their careers. Furthermore, Napier attributes Smart with saving his career after a tough stint as Clemson’s play-caller in 2011.

“Heck, (I) wouldn’t be standing here today without him,” Napier said during his time in Gainesville about Smart. “There was some familiarity there and certainly (Smart's) influence on that with coach Saban. He had a lot to do with me being there (Alabama). I will always be thankful for that." Napier continued about Smart’s impact.

Napier finished his time in Gainesville 0-3 against Smart and the Bulldogs and fired before this year's matchup, with each loss coming by over 10 points in the rivalry. Regardless, the Georgia native understood the significance of the competition.

“I grew up watching this game, you know, sitting on the edge of my seat in that living room, my dad watching this game. So, yeah, so, humbling to be a part of,” Napier said.

At the time, it appears the appearance may just be a reunion of old friends while Napier prepares to hit the job market for a head coaching candidacy in the offseason. However, similar to his endorsement at Alabama that ended with Napier turning his career around, it would not be surprising if Smart looks to add the former Gators head coach to his staff due to the clear respect between the two.