I appreciated his demeanor and comportment. Considering he was around 24 hrs removed from coaching his last game and all the congratulations and other debriefing, he was prepared and for me engendered a trust that he’s going to represent the Gators well and work to make us relevant first and then a force afterward. He’s very believable.
I also appreciated his frankness concerning recruiting and the reality of the salvage work ahead for this cycle. I feel like he’s not going to rush out and sign a bunch of bodies just to sign a bunch of bodies, which I can appreciate. Wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t snag a few prospects despite the late start.
The only cringe-worthy thing might have been his appreciation for what he got from McElwain. Public speaking wasn’t one of those things. I have to remind myself that McElwain was at one time highly regarded by Saban, so there were some redeeming qualities to learn from. However, I don’t believe he emulates Mac’s work ethic or staff requirements, so maybe he was just positively spinning a question meant to trip him up? He may look like Karl, but there’s a lot more going on in his brain than mustard and biscuits.
No real way to know what our perception of Billy Napier will be in four years, but the initial impression is that he will have his schit together in all phases. I also can’t see him embarrassing the school, the program, or the fans (with the exception of those who’d complain if it was raining 5$ bills outside). I can’t say I’ve felt like that in quite a few years. I’m happily looking ahead.