No. 13 Florida Gators’s loss to South Florida on Saturday in Gainesville was one of the most stunning upsets early in the 2025 college football season, and it has put Florida coach Billy Napier firmly back on the hot seat.
Even coming off a win over Boise State last week, few expected the Bulls to have enough for the Gators over 60 minutes in The Swamp; USF entered the game as 18.5-point underdogs. However, a week after Alex Golesh’s team shut down Boise’s offense, they did the same to DJ Lagway and the Gators, holding Florida to 16 points and pulling off the upset on a walk-off field goal to win 18-16.
South Florida shocks No. 13 Florida on 20-yard walk-off FG as late penalties cost Gators
Cameron Salerno
How much is Billy Napier’s contract buyout at Florida?
That loss immediately sparked an angry reaction from the Florida fan base, with many wondering what the cost would be to get rid of Napier. Napier signed a seven-year, $51.8 million deal back in 2021 with a base salary that increases $100,000 every year. His salary for 2025 is $7.4 million, with another $22.8 million due to him over the next three seasons through January 2029.
The Florida coach’s buyout is 85% of his current remaining contract, which would be $19.38 million after this season, with 50% of the buyout (~$9.7 million) being due within 30 days of Napier being fired and the rest being paid out in equal installments every July through 2028. There is no offset for the buyout if Napier gets another job.
Saturday’s loss to USF was the Gators’ worst since 2021 against South Carolina when they were a 20.5-point favorite and worst non-SEC loss since their 2013 defeat to Georgia Southern. That loss was the beginning of the end for Will Muschamp in Gainesville, and this loss to USF might do the same for Napier.
A year ago, Napier was staring down a similar fate and coached his way out of it as Florida closed its season strong and built optimism into 2025 thanks to the emergence of Lagway as an apparent budding star. Now, the question will be just how much leeway Napier is given to work his way through this season and what result would be needed for the Florida coach to keep his job.
The task for Napier doesn’t get easier this week, as a trip to Baton Rouge to face No. 3 LSU awaits in Week 3, but perhaps Napier can quiet the calls for his job by bouncing back with a big road upset of his own.
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