Will Florida fans have the patience for Billy Napier’s intentional

• Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterAug 31, 2023, 08:00 AM ET Close Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com

• 2-time Sports Emmy winner
• 2010, 2014 NMPA Writer of the Year

“Execute, play with class and sportsmanship, however when we get them in between the pines, they’re ours.”

The bronze plaque mounted on the green, wood frame stands monitor Murray High School in Chatsworth, Georgia, day and night. The face that gazes out from above those words isn’t smiling, but it isn’t frowning, either. It’s all company. It looks focused. Like it’s currently working through the next offending playcall in the middle of a methodical 14-play, 82-yard scoring drive. Probably an inside zone run behind the best tackle.It is not the flashiest quote. Nobody is going to puzzle it with Vince Lombardi. However it is purposeful, designed to get straight to the point. A plan, a process and an end goal, with a little inspirational pop to boot, all executed in only 16 words. Unbelievably efficient. No energy or time wasted. It is attributed to the guy behind that intent bronze face: “Coach Bill Napier … A Lot Of Wins By A Coach In School History.”This is where the DNA hair starts, the one that leads us 415 miles south and into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Where the earliest of Expense’s four kids stands monitor another football field. The Swamp. When Billy Napier talks football, he uses the word “basics “at least as soon as per sentence. When he talks about offensive football, his specialty, the previous Furman and two-time All-Southern Conference quarterback dissertates on securing the ball and keeping a strong run/pass balance. When he talks about his haircut, a buzz task that appears like he might do it himself with some clippers over a sink in the Florida Gators locker room, he discusses the appeal of its simplicity: “I have more important things to stress over than my hair.” He definitely does.Like making people ignore his 6-7 launching as head Gator, a campaign that started with a substantial season-opening win over Utah and a promising 5-2 record prior to ending with three straight losses, including Florida’s very first defeat at Vanderbilt given that 1988, the year before precious child Steve Spurrier was employed to conserve the program.Like attempting to prevent the program’s very first streak of three consecutive losing seasons since the 1950s, while looking in the face, what is undoubtedly one of the nation’s most hard schedules, starting with Thursday night’s rematch at Utah (8 ET, ESPN)and including dates with Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, LSU and Florida State.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Like the truth that vibrant quarterback Anthony Richardson is now an Indianapolis Colt, All-American offending lineman O’Cyrus Torrence is now a Buffalo Bill, and three assistant coaches, including protective organizer Patrick Toney, also left for the NFL.And like, encouraging people that he isn’t boring.OK, that last one he actually does not care about. He’s good there. Seriously.”Boring? “the 44-year-old said, chuckling, but likewise stopping briefly to consider it as fact.”I choose the word

‘purposeful.’I believe that there is something

to be stated for being able to stay with your strategy, even if individuals outside do not believe it’s moving fast enough. If you can see the improvement internally, and I believe we are light years ahead of where we were this time in 2015, then that’s the objective you need to stay concentrated on.” Be much better today than yesterday. Gain from the other day, however don’t dwell on it. And even if the end outcome, like our record last season, isn’t what you or anybody else wants, but you understand you are better now than you were then, then concentrate on that. We can’t do anything about the games we’ve currently played. However we can sure do something about the ones we’re going to play, right now but particularly on down the road.” Napier is discussing a long-lasting reconstruction project. Slowed traffic and roadway cones and men holding signs that read “SLOW.” Anybody who has actually ever taken a trip in or through Florida knows it’s a state that concentrates on those jobs. There is certainly nothing sexy about them. And there is definitely no patience to be discovered among those packed in minivans and eager to get to the beach, the Magic Kingdom or a Florida Gators bowl game. Billy Napier’s Gators face one of the toughest schedules in the country while trying to prevent Florida’s first streak of three successive losing seasons since the 1950s. David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire The people in the vans with Gators stickers in the windows do not actually know what to do with this concept of being purposeful, following the process, practicing persistence, whatever you wish to call it. In their defense, they have actually never ever done boring. Spurrier, who certainly conserved the program in ’89 and beyond through 122 wins, six SEC titles, a natty, 11 New Year’s Day bowls, Fun

‘n’ Gun and on and on, might be the least boring head coach of all time.Urban Meyer’s 2 nationwide title groups honestly could have been a bit more tiring off the field. Even the coaches in between who had a hard time to get traction in the Swamp weren’t uninteresting. Ron Zook and Will Muschamp had veins perpetually protruding of their necks in anger. Jim McElwain, as irregular as his three-year period constantly felt, still won two SEC East titles. Dan Mullen, the male whose

shooting opened the door for Napier, rocked customized Jordans, wore Darth Vader outfits and did Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robotic dances on the sideline.But Mullen appeared to tire of certain aspects of the job. The Gators ‘recruiting efforts slipped substantially (the 2022 class fell out of the ESPN rankings at one point and ended up No. 32, last in the SEC)and as a result, Napier acquired what was quickly the most talent-poor Gators locker room (conserve for Richardson and Torrence)considering that Spurrier took control of, 5 months after Napier’s 10th birthday.Still, Napier and his staff managed to cobble

together some strong signings with only a few weeks to do so last year. This year, with real time to work, they have reconnected with the legendary in-state high school talent mines and are expected to land a top 5 national recruiting class.They have likewise ridden the transfer portal like Laird Hamilton on the Banzai Pipeline, assembling an offending line with pieces drawn from Baylor, Kentucky and even Alabama. They will be charged with safeguarding Wisconsin transfer quarterback Graham Mertz and what might extremely well be the country’s top backfield duo in Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne. They integrated for 1,560 yards and 16 goals a year back. In Napier’s bor … er … essential offending plan, they will actually shoulder the load this fall. “I believe there’s a commitment

component,”Napier said of his ability to sign talent, whether prep or website.”You wish to be at your finest for your staff, for your players, and you desire them to pick up that. And there’s simply a long list of things to do. I indicate, you’re literally providing a year of your life away to resolve a great deal of issues. We’ve established systems and everything that we do. We have actually reconstructed to some degree all of our procedures. Now we sort of get to take pleasure in a few of the modifications that we have actually made. And so, I enjoy it. I believe that we went through a really similar procedure at Louisiana to some degree.”Connelly’s CFB previews Expense Connelly breaks down every division in college football as only he can, with projections and burning questions for each team as well as his favorite players. Connelly’s CFB sneak peeks Ah yes, Louisiana. His first head training gig after discovering at the knees of Dabo Swinney, Nick Saban and even Todd Graham and Jim McElwain. In four years, he took the program to 4 division

titles, 2 conference titles and 4 straight championship game. Every single year, with Napier calling plays, the offense improved throughout nearly every column on the stat sheet.”I see signs of that now, of improvement, despite the fact that 6-7 wasn’t what anybody desired,”Spurrier said of Napier, suggesting that a 7-6 season with a bowl win would be a realistic and appropriate sign of progress this season.”I believe the training personnel is much better than it was. I believe there are players in the structure who wish to be here. And I think if you see them closely, there are

a great deal of indications of everybody being on the same page.”I like him. I like his approach. It’s different possibly than what people at Florida are utilized to, but if they let him, I think he can construct something that lasts.”If Napier were to hear or check out those words, he would be delighted. Back in the day at Murray High, Expense Napier enjoyed what Spurrier was doing at Florida a lot that he altered

the team’s color scheme to match the Fun ‘n’ Gun Gators. Billy was a preteen, quickly to be his daddy’s quarterback, wearing that UF-inspired uniform throughout what he still reviews as the most big days of his youth. If Billy were to hear what Spurrier said, his very first instinct would be to call Expense and tell him. But his daddy passed away in 2017, taken by ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the season prior to Billy landed the Louisiana job.If Napier were to hear or check out that endorsement from the Head Ball Coach, he ‘d no doubt call the existing coach at Murray, little bro Kurt. Or the head coach at LaGrange High, about 150 miles south of Chatsworth, his other sibling, Matt. He calls them all the time, in addition to his sister Whitney, and his mom, Pam, who still lives in the house where Billy grew up. “You’ve got to, man. You have actually got to take care of yourself. You need that time, “he said of his family.” I need time with my wife. I need time with my kids. I require it. That makes me much better when I’m with the personnel and when I’m with the players. We can always spend 2 more hours in the office, however if I have actually signed in with family, those hours I do need to invest in the office, they are the very best hours. Doing your finest work. I like it.” That’s precisely why Billy Napier will likely

never ever see or hear Spurrier’s positive take. Just like he never hears the rips coming from Gators fans, currently impatient to return to the splendor days. He’s too hectic being dull. Trying to perform. Attempting to coach with class and sportsmanship. Since, one day, if the procedure works the method he believes it can, when he gets them in between the pines, they’ll be his.