History of Billy Napier in Timeline

Billy Napier is an American football coach, currently the head coach at the University of Florida. Previously, he served as head coach at the University of Louisiana from 2017 to 2021, achieving a 40-12 record. During his tenure at Louisiana, he led the team to three consecutive 10+ win seasons and two seasons finishing in the AP Poll, both program firsts. Before Louisiana, Napier was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State University in 2017.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1946: Start of Raymond Wolf's Tenure

Raymond Wolf began his tenure as a Florida coach in 1946.

July 21, 1979: Birth of William Hall Napier

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

1989: Last Home Opener Loss Before 2024

Before the loss to Miami in 2024, the last time the Gators lost a home opener was in 1989.

1997: All-State Honors

In 1997, Billy Napier was named All-State in high school football and accepted a scholarship to play at Furman University.

1999: College Teammates

Starting in 1999, Billy Napier was college teammates with NEEDTOBREATHE vocalist Bear Rinehart.

2001: NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game Appearance

In 2001, Billy Napier led his team to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, but they lost to Montana.

2002: All-Southern Conference Honors

In 2002, Billy Napier earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors for the second consecutive year.

2004: QB Coach at South Carolina State

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

2008: Promotion to Offensive Coordinator

In 2008, after Dabo Swinney became the full-time head coach, Billy Napier was promoted to offensive coordinator while retaining his duties as QB coach.

2009: ACC Atlantic Division Win

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

2010: Termination from Clemson

At the end of the 2010 season, Billy Napier was terminated from his position as offensive coordinator at Clemson due to a steep reduction in offensive output.

2011: Offensive Analyst at Alabama

In 2011, Billy Napier became an offensive analyst at Alabama under Nick Saban, earning a championship ring after Alabama's win in the BCS National Championship Game.

January 2013: Brief Stint at Florida State

In January 2013, Billy Napier was hired as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State but departed less than a month later.

January 2016: Second National Championship

In January 2016, Billy Napier won his second national championship as the WR coach at Alabama.

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

On December 15, 2017, Billy Napier was named the head football coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, replacing Mark Hudspeth.

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 secured the Sun Belt West Division title.

2019: Preseason Expectations and All-Conference Selections

Prior to the 2019 season, Billy Napier's Cajuns were picked to finish first in the West Division and second in the conference. Eight of his players were selected to the preseason all-conference team.

2020: Sun Belt Championship

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

2020: First Responder Bowl Win

In 2020, the Cajuns won the First Responder Bowl.

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

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

December 5, 2021: Official Announcement by Florida

On December 5, 2021, Florida officially announced Billy Napier as their head football coach via a press conference.

2021: Head Coach at the University of Florida

In 2021, Billy Napier became the head coach at the University of Florida.

2021: Sun Belt Championship

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

August 31, 2024: Home Loss to Miami Hurricanes

On August 31, 2024, the Florida Gators, under Billy Napier, lost their home opener to the Miami Hurricanes, marking their first home opener loss since 1989. The Hurricanes scored 41 points.