LAFAYETTE (La. Billy Napier is not in hurry. On Friday morning earlier in the month, the football coach sits in his University of Louisiana office and waits patiently for the question that he knows will come: "What's he doing here?"
Although it's blunt, there's an underlying sense that the 42-year old can see past all of the superficialities. You might wonder why the most sought-after commodity in the coaching market, arguably, is still at a relative outpost located less than an hour from LSU, but far from the wealth and resources available to elite college football players.
Napier should have moved on to greener pastures long ago, according to paper. His resume includes time with Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney and big wins at a place that is not used to winning. UL just finished back-to-back 10-win season -- the only 10-win season in its history.
It is not clear why he decided to stay. It is partly his upbringing. It's also part of the roller-coaster start that his career gave him, which caused him to rethink everything. He would need to find something special to leave this place that has an active swamp at the center of campus and is surrounded with some of the most talented people in the country.
Napier said that he loves "this little Cajun culture."
His father is his son. He has no flash as he grew up in the middle of high school football fields in rural Georgia, where his father was a coach for over 20 years. Napier was a quarterback in the FCS and his first job full-time was in the MEAC. He declined UL's offer to buy him a vehicle as a perks of his contract. He instead drove to work in his nondescript, white Ford Explorer every day.
After his name was linked to jobs at Auburn, South Carolina, and Mississippi State in the past two seasons, he made statements reaffirming his support for UL.
He didn't even think about moving. He says that the calls he receives during the coaching carousel each year are enough to make his head spin.
He listened because, like all competitors in the sport, he is pragmatic. He is confident in his plan, and enjoys a challenge. Without him, he wouldn't have made it to UL. Staff often describe him as "Methodical".
He talks about the many accomplishments of Ragin' Cajuns, but also how they can do more. They want to win the entire Sun Belt. They are determined to beat Texas Saturday in the season's opener. They are determined to avenge their loss to Coastal Carolina last season, win a New Years Six bowl, and be the top program in Group of 5.
Perhaps he will be ready to move forward after all this.
Perhaps not.
Up-and-coming college football coaches can lose their opportunities quickly. Napier isn’t worried about his future career prospects as he approaches his fourth season at Lafayette.
He has always been patient, which is a virtue that has led him to this point and this moment. He isn't changing.
Furman's FCS-level quarterback was Billy Napier. Alex McMahan/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Here's the thing about Napier: He was that guy before. Although he was only 38 when he took the job, this is his second coaching gig. He was a young, ambitious, and determined hotshot who believed he knew everything.
Swinney, who was the Clemson full-time head coach in 2009, elevated Napier, then 30, to the role of offensive coordinator. This made him the youngest Power 5 playcaller. Swinney praised Napier as "one of the best young coaches in the country" and said he would be a "head coach one day."
Swinney fired Swinney two years later.
Napier was forced to drive home to inform his wife that he was not employed after Clemson dropped from third to 10th place in the ACC for points per game. He had put everything he had into his job, and it wasn't in a healthy manner. He described himself as a workaholic and would get to work at 6 a.m., not leave until midnight.
He admits that he was arrogant back then, and says "I've been riding that roller coaster where it seems you're going to reach the top." "And then, you get the rug pulled under your feet."
It was an humbling experience to be fired. He had to reset his perspective and accept the reality of his situation.
Napier received a call a few weeks later, confirming his new perspective. Saban wanted him coming to Alabama but didn't have any position coaches or coordinators. Instead, he offered to be an analyst. This would mean that Napier wouldn't coach in a direct capacity.
This was before Saban popularized the analyst position, inviting in former head coaches like Steve Sarkisian, Butch Jones and Mike Locksley. Accepting Napier's offer was a public resignation, effectively rewinding his career to a decade ago, when he was a graduate assistant right out of college.
He said yes.
Napier was reenergized by the chance to learn from the best college football coach of all time. He came to understand the importance of organization and the benefits of delegating. He observed that everyone worked hard but did not get too distracted by minutiae. Also, with so many people supporting him, Napier could find more balance in his day and maybe even take a day off.
He was the right-hand man for Jim McElwain's offensive coordinator. When McElwain retired to become the Colorado State head coach, Napier took his place and returned to on-field coaching. Saban called him again a year later to ask him to come back to Alabama to coach receivers.
Napier was just getting to know Tuscaloosa as he was about to start the season, when he received terrible news. His father was diagnosed with ALS just before the season began.
Napier states, "The truth is, he's about to undergo a very difficult descent here." "There is no cure, no doctor, no medicine, no treatment, nothing."
It was heart-wrenching, but also inspiring to see his father deal with such a terrible disease. In the face of this unfair outcome, he saw no self-pity or temper tantrums.
Napier said, "That changes your thinking."
Billy Napier was able to reenergize his career by learning from Nick Saban. Mickey Welsh, Montgomery Advertiser
A pyramid of 3D boxes is located on the top floor of Louisiana's athletic facility. It can be found along Napier's office wall. Each box is for a regular-season opponent for both the Sun Belt West as well as the entire Sun Belt Conference. Each box contains one of the core values of the program, words such as "INTEGRITY" or "RESPECT."
The pyramid's top is decorated with a box with the Ragin’ Cajuns logo, which is above each of the Group of 5 conference logos. This is an allusion to the G5's stated goal of being number one program.
Below that box, the words are "BE THE DIFFERENCE", and "MAKE A IMPACT."
These are the guiding principles of Napier's father who died in 2017.
Napier recalls, "He could see that the ALS was eating me up. That I was outta control and finding it difficult. He sat down with me and said, "Look, we aren't going to make excuses, we're going to not complain. We are going to try to make an impression. "We're going to use this to make a difference.
These principles are not about football. They're about helping teammates as well as the entire program. Napier said it was also a lesson to the young coaches about how to navigate the forks in their career and make a difference.
He made the right choice when he reached the crossroads. He listened to him and spent four years at Alabama. After leaving Alabama, he went West to Arizona State to expand his roots. Soon afterward, he was a 38-year old candidate to run for the position of UL's program that had been in trouble. Mark Hudspeth had been fired as the previous coach and some of his wins were canceled due to NCAA sanctions.
Napier was aware of the talent-richness of Alabama from his time as a recruiter. Saban left Michigan State to join LSU once he realized that Louisiana produced more NFL players than any other state.
Brian Maggard, UL's athletic director, saw Napier as someone who was well beyond his years. He speaks clearly and takes extensive notes.
Maggard claims that he has never met anyone like Napier. Bill Snyder, the white-haired coach dean who retired at the age of just 79 from Kansas State, is the only one Maggard can say he ever saw. Maggard was most impressed by Napier’s vision.
He arrived with a plan. He had a plan.
Alabama's staff meetings look almost identical to his, with Napier being surrounded by 40 people every morning while he plans the day. This doesn't include the people in the weight room or nutrition staff, who were virtually non-existent before Napier's arrival.
A staffer from Alabama was recently asked about the differences between Saban and Napier. After a moment, he thought again, and then he lost it all.
He says, "One guy coaches offense, the other coaches defense." That's it.
Napier can consider every detail. A team administrator told Napier that he once asked him why his website didn't allow heights below 1/4 inch. Louisiana lists Levi Lewis at 5-foot-10, whereas most schools would make Levi Lewis look shorter than a quarterback-friendly 6 foot.
Lorenzo McCaskill, a linebacker, joined the program in 2017, shortly after Napier's 2017 arrival. He immediately felt the positive impact of his new coach. He was amazed at the organization displayed by Napier as he put together a broken locker room.
McCaskill states, "He can tell what he's going to do in the next 15-minutes, next hour, and the next two hours." He has his entire day planned, and can tell you exactly what he is doing around the same time next year.
This resulted in a program that went 28-11 over three years. The Ragin' Cajuns are ranked for the first time since the modern era.
Maggard speaks out about UL's meteoric rise under Napier. Did I believe he could do this? Could he feel a sense success in his first few year's? Yes. However, to the point where there are 10 win seasons in Years 2 & 3? It has been a pleasant ride and experience so far.
It begs the question, "When will it end?"
Napier is paid $2 million a UL salary, which is less than the salaries of a few Power 5 assistant coaches. Bryan Harsin made the long-awaited transition from Boise State into Auburn this offseason. He will be the Tigers' head coaching coach and earn $5.25million per year.
Maggard says that although there was some internal consternation when Napier's name was linked to South Carolina's job posting, he didn't worry about Napier leaving. Maggard believes that he knows what Napier needs in a job and has yet to meet them.
Maggard states, "My intention was to keep him here as long as possible." Maggard says, "I believe he can and should win the most successful coach in program history." He wouldn't be happier if this were his last job as a head coach.
Two consecutive 10-win seasons for Billy Napier's Ragin’ Cajuns, the only 10-win season in UL's historical history. Scott Clause/Montgomery Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK
INDUSTRY SOURCES DO NOT anticipate that Napier will be a long-term resident of Lafayette. It is expected that he will leave the job when it is the right one comes along, with a track record in winning, a dedication to football and clear alignment from the school president and the athletic director.
Maggard said that he would be happy to assist Napier in his next opportunity, "one he really desires."
If Virginia Tech becomes available, it could be a promising option. It's also hard to ignore the potential for LSU given its proximity.
Napier is patiently awaiting the difficult conversations that will come but is content with where he stands. Maggard is a "rising star" to Napier, and he appreciates his president's passion for athletics.
The players are not included in this list. Twenty-two of the 22 returning starters from last year are back. With Lewis back at quarterback and some talented young receivers, the offense looks even more dynamic. With Zi'Yon Hill making havoc on the line, Bralen Trahan and Eric garror back in the secondary, the defense could be spectacular.
Because of the way he recruited and developed his team, Napier has stayed so long. He says these kids are different. They aren't waiting around for the day when they will be drafted.
He says, "They're thinking of, 'I love playing, I love being a part the team, and I love the things that go with this game.'" It's a lot of fun for me.
He feels like he is doing the same thing as his father at Murray County High School, Chatsworth, Georgia. He may not have had the greatest talent, but he created something over twenty years.
Napier smiles and laughs to himself as he thinks back to middle school.
He says that he was offered many jobs back then but was looking for a job that would make him more money. While that was enough to cause Napier and Matt panic, it wasn’t the end of the story.
They were competing in a nearby county for the job.
They were devastated. They were determined to win Murray County. They hated their opponents.
They told their dad no.
They said to Defiant that they would not allow him to go if he did.
Napier laughs again because it was the only time they threatened their father.
Dad stayed and the school board installed a new roof to the house as a thank you.
His son remained where he was three decades later and UL gave him a 1 million increase.
It's funny because, despite the fact that the situations appear so different, Napier and Napier feel the same.
It is clear that Napier holds onto something, a version that is purer than the one he will be playing at the next level. He says, bluntly, "Certain matters come with that."
He doesn't think it's impossible for him to coach at high-profile programs. Although he is confident that it will, he still has to figure out how.
"What will it look like?" He asks. "How can you achieve the quality of your life and the pace you desire?"
He explained that he has seen many things.
He says, "And I believe I'm lucky in that regard." "So, I feel kind of like I know when something's really good."
