Florida fires Napier, names Gonzales interim head coach

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida fired head football coach Billy Napier on Sunday, naming wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales as interim leader as the Gators prepare for the remainder of the season. Athletic director Scott Stricklin said the decision followed a 3-4 start and reflected that "we just weren't winning at the level we needed to," concluding Napier's four-year tenure in Gainesville with a 22-23 record.

Napier's dismissal came less than 24 hours after a chaotic 23-21 home win over Mississippi State that featured late-game miscues and drew boos from the home crowd. The athletic department informed the team of the change during the program's open date, citing the timing as an opportunity to regroup before Florida faces No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 1 in Jacksonville. The university will pay Napier a buyout reported at roughly 21 million, with about half due within 30 days and the remainder spread over subsequent years.

Gonzales, a longtime assistant who has had three stints at Florida dating to the Urban Meyer era, said he intends to steady the team and emphasized the players' resilience. "I know it's not a perfect situation. But nothing in life is," he told...