Billy Napier’s second season with Florida got off to a rough start on Thursday night, and it is clear the Gators are not going to get any sympathy from their former head coach.
Florida did itself no favors by beginning its season against No. 14 Utah. The end result was a 24-11 loss during which Napier’s team was unable to generate consistent offense. Many who were watching the game noted how the Gators may have been too quick to fire Mullen.
Mullen appreciated the support. We know this because he “liked” several tweets that bashed Florida for firing him.
Former UF coach Dan Mullen liking tweets slandering Florida for firing him for Billy Napier pic.twitter.com/Hz7kTjR2su
— Andrew Ferrelli (@Andrew_Ferrelli) September 3, 2023
Mullen was fired midway through his fourth season at Florida in 2021. A lot of people felt the change came too quickly, as Mullen had gone 29-9 with two bowl wins in three seasons before that. The Gators won the SEC East in 2020, so expectations were high heading into the 2021 season.
Things have not gone any better in Gainesville under Napier, who led Florida to a 6-7 record last year. While one loss against a nationally ranked opponent is not going to define the Gators’ season, it was enough to frustrate fans right out of the gate. No one would blame Mullen for taking pleasure in it.
