Billy Napier had tremendous success at Louisiana Lafayette for four season before finally deciding to leave and take the Florida Gators job.
Napier had enough success after two seasons to begin receiving interest from other programs. His success after three seasons, when he had gone 21-4 in 2019 and 2020, led him to be mentioned for numerous jobs. But Napier stayed with the Ragin’ Cajuns for a fourth season.
This year, ULL went 13-1 — its best season yet under Napier — and the 42-year-old finally decided to leave.
During Florida’s bowl game on Thursday against UCF, Napier shared why he remained at Lafayette for four seasons before leaving.
“For one, I didn’t think the job was finished at the University of Louisiana. To complete that task and win the conference championship, to have homefield advantage, was a special experience,” Napier told ESPN.
The coach also said his transition from Louisiana to Florida was seamless.
If you’re a Florida fan, that answer should excite you. Napier sounds like a stand-up guy who wanted to carry out a commitment to Louisiana before leaving.
Now he will be taking over a program with very high expectations. Both Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen won double-digit games with the Gators and were fired at the first signs of struggles. Napier will have to be on top of his game.
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