to someone who has been one of the great stories of this college football season all the noise that you heard earlier now talk about SEC coach of the year I'm speaking of Billy nape your coach uh I don't think any of us in the media know what to say we we all said it all in the first couple of weeks and then uh got proven wrong good afternoon and congratulations on an amazing Finish Well I gotta give you some props for your theme song man I uh I've got to get me one of those you
know got to give me one of those but no yeah no I'm I'm uh thankful for uh you having me on the show today to talk about our program and our team well coach uh let's talk about the end because uh everyone knows you won four out the last six the only two losses against two teams that are playing for the SEC Championship Saturday two of the in the last one of course the Rivalry game uh just put into words uh what the the end of that season meant to you and and especially was a
big day yesterday in recruiting what it means for the future well you got some momentum I think uh for the first time since we've been in Florida we've been able to kind of sustain some of that you know and I think that's a important step in building the program uh but the most the best thing about all this is the reward for the players you know I think uh our team showed a ton of maturity obviously very disappointed with the first month of the Season uh and to see see their character um you know kind
of rise up there I I I was just really admired how our young people handled it and we wouldn't have got it done if we didn't have a great group of kids and certainly got to give them some credit the resiliency uh the ability to put the blinders on and focus and become you know really be about the solutions you know so just really proud of our kids and certainly excited about having some momentum and I think uh probably one of the most exciting things is the is the youth uh you know your the running
attack from a freshman obviously the quarterback play from DJ lagway describe what those young players have met obviously a lot of a lot of everybody takes part but especially how things turned I think we we do have a bunch of young Talent um you know you look at our roster we had um you know the seniors that we did have I think were key right they were a big piece to the puzzle just from a leadership maturity kind of set a great example but I think if you look at our roster a ton of young
players so um the key is we got good leadership and we had a a bunch of veterans that set a great example and then you know I just think rookie players they show up and they do whatever they see being done right so I think we had established expectations and I thought our veteran players did a fantastic job so yeah good young players coming back um ton of production returning and we're hopeful that we added some good pieces yesterday and we'll continue that over the next couple weeks let me ask you about yesterday because you
did uh you know score some some major points and there's so many different elements with the portal out there and and obviously the key on national Signing Day but how would you describe uh what Florida was able to gain yesterday well I think we had a good you know probably the last month here has been um you know we we took advantage of the momentum on the field and a lot of the players that maybe we finished second with early in the process that we had really good relationships with I think once we proved uh
that we had some stability and also our formula on the field was working uh I think that married up with what they saw initially in the in the process and ultimately uh we were able to go back in on a lot of players probably a dozen or so players and and uh get them to commit so um no doubt it's a well-rounded class I thought we got good players at every position you know there's still a couple out there but um just in general met our needs and uh not only a good players on the
field but I think some really quality people that come from really good families coach I remember being down there a couple of times early in the year when when the noise was loud and you you talked about just not letting it it filter into the locker room how how were you able to manage what I think everyone would agree outside of your locker room was a very difficult situation to turn it to what we have been talking about here yeah I think it's um you know one of the more challenging things that I've been but
I I would tell you just I think we built really good relationships throughout the off season and we built some intangibles I think we were made of the right stuff and look the players were just as frustrated as the staff and obviously our fans and alumni but you know just really solution oriented you know hey control what we can control you know we have to focus on our actions um and you know I think that it's probably more challenging for the young people than it is the adults you know I think I I can kind
of control my environment but I think our young people they live in that digital world so that's what I would say I thought our players showed some maturity uh you I know your job is to try to coach the team and and keep all that from them but there's no way you could miss it uh it it was out there H how were you able to not let it completely bring you down to a point where it was almost impossible to overcome yeah no I think you got to keep perspective I leadership part of the
challenge in leadership is to try to sort through all that you know you try to remain as objective as you can and look your obligation is is to the people you lead and and there's no more important people in the organization than the players right so we have to model what we want from our players and what we expect from our players so you know um remain objective try to be a good example you know and be consistent be fair and um you know I think this is a body of work profession right so I
think we we had done a lot of work throughout the offseason I think that paid off and then uh for me there's a you know there's a faith component I've talked about that before you know the football is a very conditional game uh you need something in your life that's unconditional and that's been you know kind of a faith um foundation in a different perspective so look I'm going to coach whether it's at Florida or uh somewhere else you know I love the game I love what uh the game teaches U the opportunities that it
presents my dad was a high school coach I've got two brothers that coach High School football so I love what I do you know and U being in a place like Florida is a privilege right I we have a responsibility um to represent this place in a certain way uh winning is a part of that you know the brand of football that we play is a part of that so uh we all understand this is a production business but I think it's important that we keep perspective at the same time coach I I would like
uh as we close to lean on what you just said a minute ago because so many people as you know you speak to people all the time uh are struggling as we move into the holidays but but you you mentioned your faith and I realize uh it's the core of who you are and your family but it doesn't win you games but when things don't go well and then they do uh is it still the same with you in terms of what you believe in what you lean on and how how that helps you get
through the the some of some of the darkest moments yeah I mean I think um you know we live in a very temporary world you know and I just think um and I think as you get get older that becomes more real right I think as you uh get married as you have children and I would say just as a coach this is my 20th year of coaching football you know and and I've seen a lot experienced a lot and I've been blessed to work with some unbelievable leaders um knowledgeable coaches uh and I think
just throughout all of that there's been you know the the faith component just has provided some consistency some stability um and look I think you got to do it every day you know I think it provides uh wisdom discernment you know anytime you're making decisions that affect hundreds of people um you got to have something to lean on so um you know that's what it's been for me and certainly that's what it'll continue to be down good times staring down CL some Hallelujah
