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Curt Cignetti’s philosophy contrasting Billy Napier’s is part of Florida’s problem

One guy wins, one guy doesn’t

Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier calls a play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier calls a play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Entering their annual contest with Georgia, Billy Napier and crew are 15-17 since arriving in Gainesville. He has had as many losses in two and a half years with Florida as Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart has during his entire tenure in Athens.

One of the things Gator fans were sold when Napier came to town was the idea to stay patient and let him build. But as a first-year Big Ten coach is showing, maybe that mindset isn’t the best mindset to have in the SEC.

Florida Football: What If Rome Was Built In A Day?

Admittedly, we here at Hail Florida Hail were willing to buy into the narrative of letting Napier build. Through a year and a half, there was evidence that his plan might work, given where his recruiting was in October of 2023.

Even at SEC Media Days in July, Napier reiterated his process approach and said, “I believe that the thing that I’ve learned and observed in this league, you have to have the ability to self-discipline to prepare the same way each week, regardless of the outcome. Ignore the noise, don’t believe the hype, erase the board, start over, and every person in that building has got to prepare the same way.”

He doubled down on this philosophy later when he stated, “I think you’ve got to get consumed with the process, not the outcome, to some degree, and the thing that I would say with conviction is we have been very close.”

That narrative has crumbled, and Napier finds himself with his back against the wall as he has an already spotty record with one of the toughest gauntlets in college football history about to get underway.

Part of the other reason that narrative has crumbled is because of the success other coaches have had without needing two and a half years to get there. As we pointed out yesterday, Kirby Smart made the national title game in his second season with Georgia. Last year, Kalen DeBoer did the same in just his second season at Washington.

Hoosier Daddy

If you haven’t met Curt Cignetti yet, you should Google him. He wins.

We mentioned Cignetti last week as the first-year Indiana coach, who has become a talking point among Gator fans and someone Florida should keep an eye on if they fire Napier.

As we pointed out, there are red flags that include the fact he is 63 years old, and Indiana is his first Power Four head coaching job.

But there is an attitude and a mindset to Cignetti that, at the bare minimum, most Gator fans wished Napier would employ. In an interview with Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports, Cignetti stated, “Look, I wasn’t going to take four or five years to win. Like, back in the day, you just try to build a program by your fourth year. Nowadays, you’ve got to win now, because this is the I-want-it-now society and times. And I’m not used to not winning, so we were going to win now. And it all worked out.”

Imagine that, trying to win now rather than clinging to a process that has produced a 15-17 record. The hamster on the wheel is consumed with their process, too, but that doesn’t mean the process is getting anywhere.

Cignetti, by contrast, walked into a program that had won nine games total in their previous three seasons combined and is now 8-0 with a 70% chance to make the playoffs.

One coach has urgency and is being Googled because he wins.

The other coach is also being Googled, just not for reasons he would prefer.