Gators AD Scott Stricklin: 'A lot of stability' with Billy Napier and Florida football

USA Today

6 days ago

Gators AD Scott Stricklin: 'A lot of stability' with Billy Napier and Florida football
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin offered strong public support for head football coach Billy Napier during a Wednesday appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, praising his leadership qualities and expressing optimism about the Gators' trajectory heading into the 2025 season.
"It was a challenging football season, and it was incredibly rewarding the way they finished," Stricklin said. "I give Billy Napier a lot of credit. You know, Billy, he's as solid an individual as you will find in this profession."
Stricklin commended Napier's integrity and toughness, noting how the third-year head coach leaned on his values to guide Florida through a turbulent 2024 campaign.
"His faith is very important to him," Stricklin said. "He called on every single one of those traits and qualities going through the first half of that football season last year, and I think the way the team played toward the end is a reflection of his stability, his determination, his toughness, his just overall leadership."
The Gators showed improvement down the stretch last season and head into 2025 with renewed expectations. Napier is set to begin his fourth season at the helm, aiming to return Florida to SEC contention.
"When we kick off the season August 30th, it's going to be another firestorm, and we're all going to have to weather it," Stricklin said. "And I do feel like he's (Napier) constructed a roster with a lot of talent. We've got a talented young quarterback (DJ Lagway)... we've got some playmakers around him."
Stricklin also emphasized the program's long-needed sense of direction under Napier's leadership.
"There's a lot of stability in that program that we've not had in a long, long time," he said. "A lot of talent in that program. And there is that momentum, I think, will help."
The Florida Gators open their 2025 season at home against Long Island University on Aug. 30. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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