Florida pushed to replace Billy Napier with $64 Million College Football Playoff coach

The Florida Gators face a decision about Billy Napier's future, and one long-shot candidate has emerged as a potential option to be the next head coach in Gainesville.

Sep 20, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier looks down against the Florida Gators during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

If the college football rumors have any merit, Florida may soon be looking for a new head coach amid a strong push among fans to fire Billy Napier. This is not the first time Napier's job is in flux, but the Gators coach may not be able to survive the coaching carousel for the second straight season.

The challenge for Florida is that Napier signed a seven-year, $51.8 million contract in 2021. Napier's buyout is 85% of his remaining contract at the time of firing, which would be $19.38 million at the end of the season, per CBS Sports' Robby Kalland.

ESPN's Rece Davis believes Florida should make an aggressive push to land a Big Ten coach who is fresh off a surprising run to the College Football Playoff in 2024.

ESPN's Rece Davis floats Indiana HC Curt Cignetti as potential Florida candidate

During a Monday episode of the "College GameDay Podcast," Davis pointed to Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti as a potential option for the Gators. Davis admitted that it might be a tall task for the Gators to pry Cignetti away from Indiana.

FINAL: Indiana 63, Illinois 10

Curt Cignetti took over the worst program in the Big Ten. He's now:

* 15-2 overall at IU
* 14 double-figure wins
* Only losses to two teams who played for the title (Ohio State/Notre Dame)

Don't know how people hate this guy

Dude is...ELITE😤😤 pic.twitter.com/kuLS2LbE1S

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) September 21, 2025

"You know what I would do if I were a powerhouse program and I needed to make sure that I was going to win, and I didn't care about 15 years down the road or care about three years down the road or next year and winning for five years? Davis pondered. "I'd go try to pry Curt Cignetti out of Bloomington, Indiana. I don't care how old he is. I would go and try to hire that guy and say, okay, let's get this fixed.

"... At this stage of his career, he might not want to do it, and that would be perfectly acceptable. And in this day and age of college football, he went to the playoff last year. So, he might not want to. That's where I would start, because not just Florida, anybody else that finds itself in that situation. I'd start there. "

Florida would have to pay Curt Cignetti's $10 million buyout plus Billy Napier's $19 million buyout

Unless Florida boosters have a windfall of money, the Gators would find it challenging to make this happen financially. Cignetti would owe Indiana a $10 million buyout if he left the Hoosiers before Nov. 30, 2026, per The Daily Hoosier. This number drops $1 million every year and is typically paid for by the team hiring the coach.

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti is one of the best College Football Coaches in the country. His Aura has Indiana feeling like they aren’t just a basketball school anymore. @IndianaFootball @CCignettiIU

Full Convo: https://t.co/uYSvfwlJ1k#GOIU #IUFB #RG3 #OuttaPocket pic.twitter.com/G3e4gequIx

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 23, 2025

So, if you are keeping track at home, Florida would be on the hook for Napier's $19.3 million buyout plus Cignetti's $10 million buyout. This does not even account for Cignetti's actual salary, as Indiana inked the coach to an eight-year, $64 million contract extension in November 2024, per CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd.

So, after paying both buyouts, the Gators would likely need to pay Cignetti a salary that tops his $8 million annual earnings in Bloomington. To put it another way, Florida may need to explore alternative options unless the Gators are willing to incur an expensive bill.