Days after firing Dan Mullen, the Florida Gators are reportedly expected to hire Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Billy Napier to become their new head coach.
In one of the busiest college coaching carousels in years, the Gators wanted to move quickly to land the next leader of their football program. With the 2021 regular season wrapped up, Napier has emerged as the favorite to take over at Florida.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, Florida’s coaching search is centered on Napier and an official announcement could come Sunday afternoon. While the contract isn’t finalized, the Gators seem to have everything in place with their next head coach.
Napier, part of the coaching trees under Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban, took over at Louisiana in 2017. He took over a program that won 15 combines games under Mark Hudspeth from 2015-’17. In his first season, Louisiana saw a two-game improvement in the standings and played in the Citrus Bowl.
- Billy Napier record (2017-2021): 39-12, 2-1 in bowl games
During his four-year stint with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Napier has helped the program win the Sun Belt West Division in all four of his seasons and the team is on the verge of its second consecutive Sun Belt Championship.
The Athletic’s Brody Miller detailed Napier’s rise and the qualities that have made him such a coveted coaching candidate in recent seasons.
Louisiana’s offense averaged 31.3 points per game this season. They ranked 35th in the FBS in scoring, 47th in yards per play (5.8) and ranked 55th in passer rating (140.9). The Ragin’ Cajuns have averaged 30-plus points per game in each of the past three seasons, consistently among the best offenses in college football.
With stints as an assistant at Alabama and Florida State, Napier’s experience recruiting in Florida and the SEC made him an appealing option. With Billy Napier and his choices of coaches coming in, it’s fantastic news for freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson’s future.