History of Billy Napier in Timeline

William Hall Napier is an American football coach who currently serves as the head coach at the University of Florida. He previously held the head coach position at the University of Louisiana from 2017 to 2021, where he achieved a 40-12 record over four seasons. During his tenure at Louisiana, he led the team to three consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins and two seasons ranked in the AP Poll, both unprecedented achievements in the program's history. Before Louisiana, he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State University in 2017.

July 21, 1979: Birth of William Hall Napier

William Hall Napier was born on July 21, 1979. This event marks the beginning of his life.

1997: High School All-Star

In 1997, Billy Napier was named an All-State football player during his time at Murray County High School in Chatsworth, Georgia.

1999: Napier's College Years and Teammate Bear Rinehart

From 1999 to 2002, Billy Napier played football alongside Bear Rinehart, vocalist for the band NEEDTOBREATHE, during their time at Furman University. They set numerous team records together.

2001: Napier Leads Furman to the Championship Game

Billy Napier led his team, the Furman Paladins, to the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, where they unfortunately lost to Montana with a score of 13-6.

2002: Napier Earns All-Southern Conference Honors

Billy Napier received second-team All-Southern Conference honors in both 2001 and 2002 for his performance as a quarterback.

2004: Napier's Coaching Journey Begins

In 2004, Billy Napier started his coaching career as the QB coach at South Carolina State. He later returned to Clemson, taking on the roles of tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.

2008: Napier Becomes Offensive Coordinator at Clemson

After the 2008 season, Billy Napier was promoted to offensive coordinator at Clemson while also retaining his duties as QB coach.

2009: Clemson's Offensive Success under Napier

Clemson, led by Napier's offensive strategies, achieved a school record of 436 points and won the ACC Atlantic Division in 2009.

2010: Napier's Return to Offensive Coordinator Role

After being dismissed from Clemson in 2010, Billy Napier returned to the role of offensive coordinator with Arizona State in the 2017 season, leading them to a 7-5 record and a Sun Bowl appearance.

2010: Napier's Departure from Clemson and Move to Alabama

Following a decline in Clemson's offensive performance, Billy Napier was let go. Shortly after, he joined Nick Saban's team at Alabama as an offensive analyst in 2010.

2011: Napier's Championship Ring with Alabama

In 2011, Billy Napier earned a championship ring as part of the Alabama team that won against LSU in the BCS National Championship Game.

January 2013: Napier Joins Florida State, Briefly

Billy Napier briefly joined Florida State as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator in January 2013, but left shortly after to return to Alabama as the wide receivers coach.

January 2016: Napier Becomes Offensive Coordinator at Arizona State

In January 2016, after four years at Alabama, Billy Napier was appointed as the offensive coordinator for Arizona State under head coach Todd Graham.

December 15, 2017: Napier Becomes Head Coach at Louisiana

On December 15, 2017, Billy Napier was appointed as the 26th head football coach for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, succeeding Mark Hudspeth.

2017: Napier Declines to Stay at Arizona State

Despite being offered a continued position as offensive coordinator under new head coach Herm Edwards, Billy Napier chose to leave Arizona State after the 2017 season.

2017: Napier's Tenure at Arizona State and Louisiana

In 2017, Billy Napier served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State University. He later became head coach at the University of Louisiana, where he remained until 2021.

2019: High Expectations and Success for Napier's Cajuns

Prior to the 2019 season, Billy Napier's team, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, were favored to win the Sun Belt Conference's West Division and were ranked second overall. The team lived up to expectations, finishing with an 11-3 record and winning the LendingTree Bowl.

2020: Cajuns Win First Responder Bowl

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, under Billy Napier's leadership, emerged victorious in the First Responder Bowl in 2020.

November 28, 2021: Napier Named Head Coach at Florida

On November 28, 2021, Billy Napier was appointed as the 28th head football coach for the University of Florida, succeeding Dan Mullen.

December 5, 2021: Napier Officially Announced as Florida's Head Coach

Following the announcement on November 28, 2021, Billy Napier was officially introduced as the head coach of the University of Florida during a press conference on December 5, 2021.

2021: Napier's Time at Louisiana Concludes

Billy Napier concluded his tenure as head coach at the University of Louisiana in 2021.

2024: Napier's Difficult Schedule in 2024

Leading into the 2024 season, Billy Napier and the Florida Gators are predicted to face a challenging schedule, considered by many to be the most difficult in the country.