Comparing Billy Napier to Florida’s other first year head coaches throughout history
Billy Napier’s first season at the helm of the Florida Gators football program was not quite as successful on the field as most had hoped, but keeping in mind both the turnover of talent as well as what remained after the departure of Dan Mullen, the first-year head coach dealt with some significant challenges on the sidelines last fall.
Over the course of history, the debut campaign for new head coaches has been a bit of a crap shoot, with some like Steve Spurrier getting off to strong starts to their tenure while others like Charlie Pell starting off at rock-bottom. Much of their successes — or lack thereof — were dependent upon the strength of the roster left by the previous staff but there are also other variables in play as well.
Below is a look at every single first-year head coach of Florida’s football program dating back to Jack Forsythe, who kicked things off in Gainesville way back in 1906. This list should give the reader a good data set with which to compare the Gators’ current skipper to those of the past.
Jack Forsythe
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Year: 1906
Record: 5-3
George E. Pyle
Syndication: Gainesville Sun
Year: 1909
Record: 6-1-1
C.J. McCoy
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1914
Record: 5-2 (2-2 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
Alfred R. Busser
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1917
Record: 2-4 (1-4 SIAA)
William G. Kline
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1920
Record: 6-3 (1-3 SIAA)
James Van Fleet
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1923
Record: 6-1-2 (1-0-2 Southern Conference)
Harold Sebring
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1925
Record: 8-2 (3-2 SC)
Charlie Bachman
Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Year: 1928
Record: 8-1 (6-1 SC)
Dennis K. Stanley
Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1933
Record: 5-3-1 (2-3 Southeastern Conference)
Josh Cody
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1936
Record: 4-6 (1-5 SEC)
Tom Lieb
Courtesy: University of Florida SID
Year: 1940
Record: 5-5 (2-3 SEC)
Raymond Wolf
Courtesy: University of Florida SID
Year: 1946
Record: 0-9 (0-5 SEC)
Bob Woodruff
AP Photo/The Gainesville Sun, Michael C. Weimar
Year: 1950
Record: 5-5 (2-4 SEC)
Ray Graves
AP Photo/File
Year: 1960
Record: 9-2 (5-1 SEC)
Doug Dickey
Ray Graves (Left) and Doug Dickey (Right). Syndication: Nashville
Year: 1970
Record: 7-4 (3-3 SEC)
Charlie Pell
AP Photo
Year: 1979
Record: 0-10-1 (0-6 SEC)
Galen Hall
Allen Dean Steele/Getty Images
Year: 1984
Record: 8-0 (5-0 SEC)
Steve Spurrier
USA TODAY Sports
Year: 1990
Record: 9-2 (6-1 SEC)
Ron Zook
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Year: 2002
Record: 8-5 (6-2 SEC)
Urban Meyer
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 2005
Record: 9-3 (5-3 SEC)
Will Muschamp
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 2011
Record: 7-6 (3-5 SEC)
Jim McElwain
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 2015
Record: 10-4 (7-2 SEC)
Dan Mullen
James Gilbert/Getty Images
Year: 2018
Record: 10-3 (5-3 SEC)
Billy Napier
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Year: 2022
Record: 6-7 (3-5 SEC)
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