Former Florida coach Dan Mullen appears to be overshadowing Billy Napier

While Florida fans called for his dismissal after a devastating loss, head coach Billy Napier did not expect his predecessor Dan Mullen to receive any sympathy.

Mullen, a college football commentator, reposted a post by his ESPN colleague Matt Barrie on X that said, “Fired Florida coach played three consecutive six-game New Years games in his first three years. And was fired in his fourth season.”

The facts suggest that Mullen posted a 29-9 record in his first three seasons with appearances in the Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl (bowl record 2-1) – and climbed as high as No. 4 in the polls – before being fired in 2021 for a 5-6 record.

A major factor in this was his reluctance to fire defensive coordinator Todd Grantham until, in the eyes of decision-makers, it was too late.

With a retweet on Saturday, Mullen suggested he is not over it yet.

Time seems to be running out for Napier, whose tenure so far has been a disaster.

He went 11-14 in his first two seasons, including a loss in the Las Vegas Bowl, and began his third year on Saturday with a 41-17 home loss to rival Miami.

During the second half, shouts of “Fire Billy” and “Billy, you’re a loser” were reportedly heard from the stands.

Napier was considered a prime candidate for the Power Five coaching job after posting a 40-12 record in four seasons at Louisiana, but that success did not translate to the SEC.

To make matters worse, Miami quarterback Cam Ward – a transfer from Washington State – took a shot at the Gators fans and the famous atmosphere in the “Swamp.”

“I played at USC. USC wasn't crowded, but it was louder than here,” Ward said. “I played at Oregon and it was louder than here. The Pac-12 is a misconception. That's where I think real football is played. I'm from Washington (State) and Washington is one of the loudest environments I've played in.

“A word of advice to the fans: I would say if you're going to be loud, be loud when we huddle together. You can't just be loud when we break the huddle. At that point, there's no point. We hear the game and we've already communicated. But it was a good atmosphere to play in and I was just thrilled that we were able to get a win.”

What is likely to become even louder is the pressure on Napier.