Scott Stricklin explains what made Billy Napier 'attractive choice' for Florida

The Florida Gators officially announced the hiring of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns head coach Billy Napier on Sunday afternoon via Twitter, and athletic director Scott Stricklin seemed excited by university’s hiring.

“I’ve followed and studied Billy Napier’s career with interest, and he became the primary target immediately after this position came open,” Stricklin said in a press release. “We felt confident he would be an excellent leader for the Gators, which is why he was the only candidate I met with about the job.

Florida made it official shortly after reports of Napier calling a team meeting to tell his players in Lafayette, and the move came exactly a week after the Gators announced the firing of Dan Mullen in the midst of his fourth season. Stricklin explained what made Napier an “attractive choice,” as well as why he’s positioned for success at Florida, despite having never served as a head coach in the SEC.

“Billy’s ability to bring highly-talented people together — players, coaches, and staff — along with his vision for having a strong, relationship-based culture is what made him such an attractive choice,” Stricklin said. “Add in how detailed his plan is for player development, staffing and recruiting, along with a sustained desire to improve, and it’s easy to see why he’s been successful.

“I’m so pleased that Billy, Ali, Annie, Sammy Nelson and Charlie are coming to Gainesville. It’s an exciting day for the Gators.”

A former assistant under Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney, Napier has led Louisiana to double-digit victories in each of the past three seasons. The Georgia native has been in the mix for several SEC jobs in recent years such as Auburn, South Carolina and Mississippi State.

But the Gators became the first to pull the trigger, plucking Napier out of Louisiana to become the program’s 29th coach. The move caused many to question why LSU, which announced it would part ways with Ed Orgeron at the conclusion of 2021, didn’t work harder to secure an in-state candidate.

Billy Napier boasts impressive resume

Prior to arriving in Lafayette, Napier spent one season as the offensive coordinator at Arizona State in 2017. He helped direct the Sun Devils to a 7-6 record and appearance in the Sun Bowl against NC State.

Since taking over Louisiana in 2018, he has compiled a 39-12 record. He won the Sun Belt Coach of the Year award in just his second season at the helm.

At 10-1 (7-0 in league play), the Ragin’ Cajuns have already clinched their spot in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game against Appalachian State. They rank 42nd in the country and fifth in the Sun Belt in total defense, a major area of emphasis for Florida in its coaching search.

After the Gators took Alabama to the wire in last year’s SEC title game, the Dan Mullen era took a sharp turn for the worse. Florida began the year at 3-1, with its lone loss coming by two points against the Crimson Tide. After being ranked inside the top 10, the Gators have gone 2-5, with the only victories coming against Vanderbilt and Samford.

The defense has struggled immensely, giving up an average of 39.8 points over its past five outings. Florida responded by firing defensive coordinator Todd Grantham as well as offensive line coach John Hevesy prior to the Samford game. They still gave up 52 points in that one, the most ever from an FCS school against an SEC opponent.

The Gators will now prepare for the early signing period, set to begin on Dec. 15, with their new coach Billy Napier.