History of Billy Napier in Timeline

Billy Napier is an American football coach, currently the head coach at the University of Florida. Before Florida, he coached at the University of Louisiana from 2017-2021, where he achieved a 40-12 record. His tenure at Louisiana included three consecutive 10+ win seasons and two seasons ranked in the AP Poll, both program firsts. Prior to Louisiana, Napier was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State University in 2017.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1946: Reference to Raymond Wolf Coaching Tenure

Napier's record of 20-22 (as of Sep. 20) was the worst win percentage by a Florida coach during their tenure since Raymond Wolf, who coached from 1946–49.

July 21, 1979: Birth of William Hall Napier

On July 21, 1979, William Hall Napier was born.

1989: Reference to Last Home Opener Loss

The loss on August 31, 2024 was the first home opener loss since 1989.

1997: All-State Selection

In 1997, Napier was named All-State as a football player and accepted a scholarship to play at Furman University.

1999: College Teammate with Bear Rinehart

From 1999 to 2002, Napier was college teammates with NEEDTOBREATHE vocalist Bear Rinehart, and they set numerous team records together.

2001: NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game Appearance

In 2001, Napier led his team to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, where they lost to Montana. He also earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors.

2002: All-Southern Conference Honors

In 2002, Napier earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors.

2004: QB Coach at South Carolina State

In 2004, Napier was hired as the QB coach at South Carolina State after a stint as a graduate assistant at Clemson.

2008: Promotion to Offensive Coordinator at Clemson

In 2008, Swinney was promoted from interim head coach to full-time head coach after the 2008 season and Napier was promoted to offensive coordinator while retaining his duties as QB coach.

2009: ACC Atlantic Division Title and School Record Points

In 2009, Clemson won the ACC Atlantic Division behind Napier's offense, which scored a school-record 436 points at that time.

2010: Termination as Offensive Coordinator at Clemson

At the end of the 2010 season, Napier was terminated as offensive coordinator at Clemson due to a steep reduction in the team's offensive output.

2010: Fired as Clemson's OC

Back in 2010, Napier was fired as Clemson's OC.

2011: Offensive Analyst at Alabama and Championship Ring

In 2011, Napier worked as an offensive analyst at Alabama under Nick Saban and earned a championship ring following Alabama's win over LSU in the BCS National Championship Game.

January 2013: Hired as Tight Ends Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Florida State

In January 2013, Napier was hired by Jimbo Fisher at Florida State to be the team's tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, but he departed less than a month later.

January 2016: Second National Championship as Alabama's WR coach

In January 2016, after a four-year stint as Alabama's WR coach Napier won his second national championship.

December 15, 2017: Named Head Coach at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

On December 15, 2017, Billy Napier was named the 26th football head coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

2017: Offensive Coordinator at Arizona State University

In 2017, Billy Napier became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State University.

2018: Sun Belt West Division Title

In 2018, Billy Napier's team won the Sun Belt West Division.

2019: Picked to finish first in the West Division

Prior to the 2019 season, Napier's Cajuns were picked to finish first in the West Division and second in the conference.

2020: Sun Belt Championship

In 2020, Billy Napier's team won the Sun Belt Championship.

2020: Cajuns won 2020 First Responder Bowl

The Cajuns won the 2020 First Responder Bowl.

November 28, 2021: Named Head Football Coach at the University of Florida

On November 28, 2021, Billy Napier was named the 28th head football coach at the University of Florida, replacing Dan Mullen.

December 5, 2021: Official Announcement as Head Coach at Florida

On December 5, 2021, Billy Napier was officially announced as the head football coach at the University of Florida during a press conference.

2021: Head Coach at the University of Florida

In 2021, Billy Napier became the head coach at the University of Florida after serving as head coach at the University of Louisiana since 2017.

2021: Sun Belt Championship

In 2021, Billy Napier's team won the Sun Belt Championship.

August 31, 2024: Home Loss to Miami Hurricanes

On August 31, 2024, the Gators, under Napier, lost their home opener to their rival Miami Hurricanes, marking their first home opener loss since 1989.