Billy Napier

I'm not 100% sure, but I think people may be conflating Napier with Mark Hudspeth, the preceding coach at Louisiana, whose career there ended pretty ignominiously.

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I was implying that he does shady recruiting practices, Like Kirby

 

Are you sure about that? Have you tried the sauce?

 

I've been told it has a meaty taste...must be his secret shark mixture

 

I think the logical problem with thinking a guy like Napier is the next big thing is neglecting the fact that he's in a low level conference. Yeah, he well may be head & shoulders better than the other coaches in that conf & hence the success. It seems to me that the best coach in that conf is typically worse, by a lot, than the avg coach in the SEC. Yes, he could be the next big thing, but I would not base that conclusion on him rocking it in the Sun Belt. High risk hire IMO.

 

Just googled him and see he was born in Tennessee. We’ve done well with head coaches born there

 

Dan uses Tumi. At least he does if he opened the package I sent him last month.

 

There's a YT video of just after he took the ULA job...very lengthy I think one segment has title about Dabo and Nick influences. I think It gives you a feel for who he is and how he thinks. Impressed me a lot. Son of a lifetime high school football coach. Seems super down to earth, but confident and articulate. Very balanced offenses at ULA last I saw 225 rushing avg and 235 passing avg per game. AR would fit in w that i'm guessing.
Interesting observation about attention to detail, he says Sabin really runs the program more like a great high school program than corporate NFL type- nuts and bolts are personal accountability for every single person and job and player and a sense of interacting and counting on each other. I had no thoughts on him previously ,but he's pretty impressive.

 

It's not being neglected from most of the people on this board. You have to understand that Louisiana didn't do anything head and shoulders better than anyone in the Sun Belt in any aspect of football until Napier got there. He has elevated that program to heights that they have never seen. That's what you're looking for in a coach at any program if you're trying to find the next homerun.

It's not a guarantee of success but he checks all of the boxes that you want in a head coach. I don't find it to be any higher of a risk than any other candidate. Stoops has been out of the game for a long time now. Kiffin failed at the last big job he had.

 

Neglect is not the right word. Underweight would be better. I live in the Mt. west region. (I've had 2 head coaches as next door neighbors - not football). I've seen many coaches tear it up in football, volleyball, Bball & get hired to P5 conferences where they sucked. Turning it around & crushing it in the lower ranks is a necessary condition for success at the next level, but more often than not proves to not be a sufficient condition.

 

High risk relative to what? Who's the non pipe dream candidate that is less risky?

 

The last ‘billy’ we hired turned out pretty damn good!

 

How’s his nil game. He doesn’t have to deal with that in the Sunbelt.

 

He very well may be the least risky. I don't know. I just don't think we have much to go on w.r.t. how he'd do in the big leagues.

 

I want a coach that literally gets upset when we miss on a top recruit and doesn’t say we’ll talk about recruiting during recruiting season.

 

Just as risky as any I guess unless we went for an established guy. There isn’t really anyone out there that comes to mind though. I’d like to see Stricklin’s top 5 and what we are willing to offer. Coaches salary is just the tip of the iceberg and probably enough to get a guy like Napier. All in in every way would be needed to get a top coach to even consider a lateral move. LSU will be offering just that so let’s hope we are similarly committed. We don’t want our third choice.

 

I want a coach that can offer exactly what Bama and Georgia are offering in every way. Not corners cut.

 

Seems like it would depend on whether that best coach has been there for years and reached his pinnacle or is an up-and-coming coach on his way higher.

 

When jumbo went to A&M, it was the most ridiculous monetary contract ever but is pretty much the norm now. The offer Riley got from LSU seems kind of normal in today’s game. Taking a top coach from a top school would take another rediculous offer and the coach would need to be assured the school was all in in every way.