Billy Napier's emotional press conference: What the embattled Florida coach said about future after narrow win over Mississippi State

Billy Napier might have coached his final game with Florida, and when asked about his future, he had an emotional response: "I'm built for it."

Napier — with rumors swirling that the Gators head coach could be fired as soon as this weekend — spoke about his team after Florida's 23-21 win over Mississippi State, and he was sure to give them the credit. When asked if he’s coached his last game for Florida, Napier said he is going to celebrate tonight and "look to the next one tomorrow."

Both Michai Boireau, who grabbed the game-winning interception, and Jadan Baugh, who rushed for a career-high 151 yards, said that Napier is a great coach, and per Baugh, "the future is bright."

MORE: Billy Napier's contract buyout details 

But that might not be with Napier.

Here's what the head coach had to say in what might be his final presser.

Does Billy Napier expect to be fired?

After Saturday's win over Mississippi State, Napier did not directly answer questions about his future. When asked about his future at Florida, the coach said he's built for it, and when asked if he's coached his final game at Florida, he said he's going to enjoy tonight.

Napier said that "it's a happy room in there" for a Florida team that has been put through a gauntlet in the 2025 season and now sits at 3-4. He said that the team has been playing through a lot of injuries and needs an open week, which they have before facing Georgia on Nov. 1.

MORE: Who are the top candidates to replace Billy Napier at Florida?

Billy Napier on his future at Florida

In his opening statement, Napier said how last week was tough, and he's proud of the group for "showing up for work."

Throughout the press conference, the Florida head coach kept on stating how proud he was of the players, knowing that they wanted to represent the university during homecoming. 

Napier was asked about what lies ahead for him after this afternoon's game.

"I was called to coach, and the good comes with the bad," Napier said postgame.  "Never going to make everybody happy in these leadership positions. When you're in charge, these are things that come with it."

Billy Napier answers a question about his future at Florida. pic.twitter.com/GrLZQf6mVR

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) October 19, 2025

Emotionally, Napier said "I love the game of football," followed by a pause. He finished the statement with "I love the game."

MORE: 'Fire Billy' chants rain down on Florida Gators during game

DJ Lagway and Florida players on Billy Napier's future

When asked about Napier, Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway kept it short:

"I'm extremely grateful for Coach Napier," Lagway said. "For everything he's done for me and my family. He's a heck of a head coach, and I'm thankful to be able to play for him."

Both Michai Boireau and Jadan Baugh also praised Napier and everything he’s done for them. Before Boireau went up to the podium, Napier shook his hand as the coach exited.

Billy Napier Florida record

After the win over Mississippi State, Napier holds an overall record of 22-23 through his tenure, giving him a .489 winning percentage midway through his fourth season (2022-2025).

This clip is the worst for a permanent Florida head coach in the modern era, forcing people to go back to coaches from the 1940s to find a comparable winning percentage at the program.

Napier’s lack of success at home has created a stark statistical comparison to Florida’s coaching legends, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, highlighting a fundamental shift in the program’s consistency. 

In his first 28 games coached at Florida, Napier accumulated 6 home losses in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. This total surpassed the career home losses of both Meyer and Spurrier, despite their much longer tenures.

Florida 2025 remaining schedule

The Gators have a bye week after today's win, followed by a ranked matchup against Georgia.