In his first game as Florida head coach, Billy Napier left quite an impression.
Napier led the Gators to a 29-26 upset win over No. 7 Utah in primetime at The Swamp. The victory was UF’s 33rd-straight in its home opener.
Florida is counting on Napier to help revitalize the program, and thus far he’s off to a good start.
For his effort, Napier was named the recipient of The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week for Week 1.
Napier came to Gainesville following a successful four-year stint at Louisiana. He led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 40-12 overall record, which included two Sun Belt Conference titles and four bowl appearances.
Ultimately, Napier will be judged by how he does in SEC competition, particularly against Eastern division foes like Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
He’ll get his first opportunity to face one of those schools when the Gators, now ranked 12th in the AP poll, host No. 20 Kentucky on Saturday.