Florida Gators fans officially lost their patience after Billy Napier’s humiliating loss to Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes in a one-sided football game last Sunday. When Billy Napier started the season with a 55-0 bullying of FCS Long Island, many people assumed that Billy Napier’s Gators would make the playoffs, despite having a nerve-wracking schedule. But the football gods had other plans for the Gators. After week 1, things went sideways fast: an 18-16 choke against South Florida, then a 20-10 hit from a man named Billy. The entire state of Florida started calling for his head for good reason. Billy’s fourth season at Florida has been a rollercoaster nobody signed up for—20-22 overall, and counting. And now, insiders are calling out a man from the the Big 10 who has quite a reputation for changing the football.

On September 21, Chris Hummer joined the ‘College Football Insider Podcast’ with Brandon Marcello and John Talty and named a coach he believes could save Florida: $8 million man. Curt Cignetti: “Florida fans, I am sorry in advance, and Indiana fans, I am sorry too, right? Like, your team just had an incredible victory over a top 10 team. I’m going to talk about your coach potentially being at Florida for a second. Like, that Florida roster is ready to win. Like, say what you want about Billy Napier and his staff…they have put together a roster that is not devoid of talent. And if you put Curt Cignetti in…There, like with the way he calls plays, the way he runs an offense, like his general likeability to win no matter where he’s been, like that looks pretty good. And I think those press conferences would hit like crack for Florida fans.”

On money. Press conferences would literally hit like crack. Something Florida’s fans would actually look forward to. Curt Cignetti is no stranger to turning programs upside down. The man is a certified winner. Won everywhere from Madison to Indiana. When he came to Bloomington, Indiana was basketball country first, and there was no such thing as a football powerhouse. By the time Cignetti was done, the Hoosiers had become famous for their high-powered football. In 2024, the Hoosiers under Cignetti averaged 515.7 total yards per game, scoring 47.5 points per game, which was third or fourth best in the nation.

And now in 2025, they are maintaining the same caliber of offense, or might be even better. Indiana is averaging around 591.7 total yards per game and sitting 4-0, ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25. It’s too soon to say whether the average will dip or not, but Cignetti’s touch is real.

The Gators aren’t short on talent. QB DJ Lagway is leading a group full of talent. Backups Aidan Warner and Harrison Bailey can hold it down. Their receivers Eugene Wilson III and TJ Abrams are consistent threats in the downfield. Even freshmen like Naeshaun Montgomery and Dallas Wilson are certified ballers who need some time to develop. And with that Florida Gators squad? Curt Cignetti would be serving 500-ish yards per game. If that doesn’t scream “hire me,” what does?

Napier’s resume by comparison? Brutal. The Gators are 20-22 under him and can’t score to save their lives. Against Miami, they hit rock bottom with 141 total yards, their lowest mark since 1999. Zero-for-13 on third downs, one of the worst FBS stat lines since 2022. Napier’s excuse factory isn’t selling anymore. It’s only a matter of time before the boosters and the fanbase connect the dots: the Gators are built to compete against the best in the country, not to falter against the South Florida Bulls. And right now, every loss under Napier feels like a wasted season.

Billy Napier tells Florida offense isn’t enough

Florida football’s latest disaster came in the form of a 26-7 beatdown by Miami, and Billy Napier’s post-game presser only poured salt in the wound. “Obviously not good enough on offense,” he admitted. “We didn’t generate enough yards or points. The first half was a trial of errors. Not many plays where we executed well at all.”

The ugly truth? He might be right. This Gators offense has regressed under Billy Napier’s play-calling. Lagway threw for just 61 yards against Miami after coughing up five picks the week before. Napier chalked it up to busted protections and mental errors, saying, “We had mental errors of protection on third down, and really struggled to stack any good plays together.” But Florida had the talent to cover those mistakes. It’s the coaching and execution that aren’t lining up, and everyone knows it.

Even Lagway knows it. “I’m not going to sit here and make this seem like this is okay. This isn’t okay,” the sophomore QB said after Miami. “I’m going to demand greatness from everybody. We’re done playing around.” And that’s the nightmare Florida fans are staring down: wasting a stacked roster on a coach who can’t pull it together. The chances of Curt Cignetti going to Florida are the same as the Gators making the playoffs. Zero. Still, changing the head coach would be the most honorable thing the board could do.