Billy Napier is the latest head coach in college football to lose his job after the Florida Gators kicked him out of campus. Joining former Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin in temporary unemployment, many fans wonder how each coach’s buyout stack up.
Penn State must pay Franklin over $50 million for him not to coach the Nittany Lions in the 2025 NCAA season. Franklin’s buyout is valued at roughly $48 million, per Sports Illustrated, but the school in Happy Valley must also pay the former coach his remaining salary in the year.
As for Napier, the Gators will have to foot a hefty bill, as well. “Napier will be paid roughly $10.2 million within 30 days of the termination,” as reported by On3. “He will receive $2.5 million every July 15th over the next four years.
“He will also be owed 85 percent of the next two months’ salary — roughly $1.2 million.” All in all, Napier will receive roughly $21.4 million from the University of Florida without being in Gainesville himself.
No mitigation
While most schools secure their head coaches with off-setting clauses in case of them landing new jobs, Florida didn’t include such terms on the seven-year deal it signed Napier to.
“[Napier] is not subject to off-set or mitigation, which means he’s due all of it even if he lands another job,” as reported by college football insider Pete Thamel on X.
Extra time
The buzz around Napier’s job security had grown louder heading into the Mississippi State game. According to reports, Florida had made up its mind to fire Napier regardless of the outcome during the Gators’ hosting of the Bulldogs. When there’s smoke, there’s fire, and Napier was indeed shown the exit door in Gainesville amid a deflating NCAA campaign.
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The timing of the decision is not random for the Gators. Florida will now head to a bye week in college football. The program will be back in action on November 1, when the Georgia Bulldogs pay the Gators a visit at The Swamp. Now, Florida has some time to acclimate to Napier’s absence, and adjust before taking on No. 5 Georgia (Florida’s fourth top 5 opponent of the season).