By now you have seen the list of potential head coach candidates ranging from Penn State’s James Franklin to Michigan State’s Mel Tucker to Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin. There are no shortage of candidates that could replace Ed Orgeron when the season kicks off in 2022.
The idea of going big game hunting for the next head coach comes from Scott Woodward’s history as an athletic director. What about a non-Power Five head coach? Yes Luke Fickell should be under strong consideration for the job given what he has accomplished at Cincinnati, but that isn’t the name we will focus on here.
Just down the road in Lafayette, Louisiana, you have Billy Napier. The former Furman quarterback has coached at plenty of big-name schools including Clemson, Alabama, and Arizona State. Napier got his first shot as a head coach with the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2018. Since that time he has amassed a record of 34-12 and 2-1 in bowl games.
Napier is a head coach that has been on the radar for a head coaching gig. He has turned down jobs that plenty of people would love to have. For instance, he turned down Auburn just last year when they looked to replace Gus Malzahn. Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Tennessee all looked at Napier but they weren’t able to get him out of Lafayette. Could LSU be a different story altogether?
In the state of Louisiana, Napier is a well-respected head coach. It might not be a flashy hire that we are expecting them to make, but Napier should get a phone call. He knows the landscape in Louisiana and has been on the radar of multiple SEC schools.
After a 7-7 start to his coaching career, Napier has a combined 27-5 record since. Also posting an 18-2 conference record.