Since Urban Meyer, the Florida Gators have had four coaches fired with nearly $50 million in buyouts

Before Will Muschamp’s third season at the helm in Gainesville, a 2013 campaign that resulted in a 4-8 mark, the Florida Gators went 33 straight years without a losing record. It was highlighted for a period by each of the program’s three national titles in 1996, 2006 and 2008.

As bad as things got in the win/loss columns during that three-plus year stretch, they were 6-6 under Galen Hall in 1987. That was thanks to four losses in the last five games, including an Aloha Bowl loss to Troy Aikman and UCLA.

Times have changed. The Gators entered 2025 with five finishes below .500 under four coaches in the previous 14 seasons, or since Urban Meyer’s departure. Such mediocrity, or worse, was common in the 1930s and 1940s. The problems of the last decade on the gridiron in Gainesville, like many universities and colleges, were largely due to World War II, when newspapers and radio stations served as media outlets of the time, and that is in stark contrast to the current social media forums that scorched Billy Napier’s seat for the past two-plus seasons. That was him relieved of his duties Sunday.

Starting with Napier, here’s a look at the four coaches in the post-Urban Meyer era at UF.

Billy Napier 2022-25 | $21.5 million buyout

With a record of 22-23 during his time in Gainesville, Napier’s buyout is essentially one million dollars per win. He is the first Florida coach since Tom Leib during the aforementioned WWII era to post a career mark below .500 in leading the Gators, and with losing seasons in 2022 (6-7) and 2023 (5-7), Napier was the first UF coach since Leib’s successor, Raymond Wolf in 1946-47, to have consecutive losing years knew. The 46-year-old went a combined 1-7 against Georgia, Florida State and Miami while splitting two games with USF, including a nail-biter of a win in 2022 against what would be the one-win Bulls.

Dan Mullen 2018-21 | $12 million buyout

The last time the Gators posted a double-digit season under the current UNLV coach was 2019. That was the second of back-to-back seasons, both capped by bowl wins and top 10 finishes that gave Mullen a win. extension. Things went downhill quickly. Mullen was fired following an overtime loss at Missouri near the end of the 2021 season, dropping the Gators to 5-6, and with nine losses in their last 11 games against Power Conference teams. Mullen went 34-15 for a .694 winning streak, which is third-best all-time among UF coaches with at least 25 games on their resume.

Jim McElwain 2015-17 | $7.5 million buyout

It was a strange lead-up to the coach’s departure with McElwain, to say the least referring to death threats during a press conference in 2017, something he later apologized for. Large margins of defeat were common, including 42-7 against Georgia in his last game with the Gators. That loss ended a 12-11 run that followed a 10-1 start in his first season. McElwain went 0-2 with a combined 58-15 against Florida State, and he also went 0-2 in SEC championship appearances against Alabama, the second going 54-16. The end of his freshman season also included a 41-7 Citrus Bowl loss to Michigan. Are buyout was negotiated from $12 million.

Will Muschamp 2011-14 | $6.3 million buyout

In 2012, Muschamp’s second season in the Swamp, the Gators climbed to No. 3 in the AP thanks to a 7-0 start in which they allowed as many as 20 points just once. As the No. 4 team in the country, they allowed a season-high in points by losing (33-23) to No. 22 Louisville in the Sugar Bowl. That was the starting point for a 10-14 finish to Muschamp’s time in Gainesville, which ended with an overall mark of 28-21. He went 1-3 against both Georgia and Florida State. He was fired before the end of the 2014 season and remained on board to coach the last few games.