Billy Napier will continue to coach Florida, according to athletic director Scott Stricklin, quashing rampant speculation about the embattled coach's future with the Gators.

In a letter Thursday, Stricklin emphasized the need for a “disciplined, robust approach” and urged fans in Florida to “continue to stand behind Billy and his dedicated team as we work together to develop a championship program.”

Napier, in his third season at Florida, is 15-18 with the Gators. He faced increased scrutiny of his professional performance after an opening 41-17 loss to Miami – a scrutiny that intensified after a 33-20 loss to Texas A&M two weeks later.

Stricklin, however, has steadfastly supported Napier, as he has repeatedly stated he needs time to steer the Gator program in the right direction.

Back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and UCF helped quell fan discontent, but performances in narrow losses to No. 7 Tennessee and No. 3 Georgia – Florida had the lead in both games – showed progress.

“As we have seen over the past few weeks, the young men on this team represent what it means to be a Gator,” Stricklin wrote. “Their determination, commitment and execution are evident in their weekly performance and growth – creating a foundation that promises greater success next season and beyond.”

Stricklin added that he is “confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

The Gators are 4-4 overall this season, including 2-3 in SEC play. They visit No. 5 Texas on Saturday before finishing their regular season at home to LSU, at home to Ole Miss and at rival Florida State.

A lot of the progress Stricklin cites has to do with the way Florida's freshmen and sophomores have been playing recently.

After veteran quarterback Graham Mertz lost to Tennessee this season, freshman DJ Lagway took over the role of full-time starter and played well – leading to a 48-20 win over Kentucky and giving the Gators the lead against Georgia until he ended the season Left game with a hamstring injury.

Lagway split time with Mertz, but his ability to play as a dual-threat quarterback has opened up new possibilities for the Florida offense. Lagway is listed as questionable for Saturday's game at Texas.

Freshman running back Jadan Baugh also impressed with 323 yards and five touchdowns.

Sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel that 70% of the money for Florida's name, image and likeness is tied to freshmen and sophomores, and there is a feeling that losing Napier would also mean losing Lagway , who picked the Gators to play for Napier.

In an interview with ESPN earlier this season, Trent Miller, Lagway's high school coach, said that Napier “did a great job of getting DJ to get involved early on in the process of building this brand.” to support the recruit and everyone else around him.”

The Napier acquisition alone would have been worth more than $26 million, which would have been the second-highest amount in college football history behind Texas A&M's $76 million for Jimbo Fisher last year.

Sources said the cost of replacing Napier and staff, as well as bringing in a new coach, was estimated internally at $40 million.

Other factors also play a role. Interim President Kent Fuchs, who returned after Ben Sasse's resignation, hired Napier and Stricklin and wants them to succeed.