Billy Napier

[WataugaMan]

Hey Mo, I'M goin to da SEC. Woop Woop Woop Woop!!

New Double Secret Play At Mississippi State:

[AppinATL]

Part of me doubts Napier leaves for Mississippi State. I know the money and resources that are there but if he fails, which is likely at Mississippi State, you set yourself back a decade. Could see him waiting on South Carolina to open up next season because barring some drastic turnaround, Muschamp is as good as gone.

And thats a better chance of success than Miss St? I see both about the same. Granted the west is a tougher road than the east, but nether team is gonna be winning their division any time soon.

[NavyApp]

Part of me doubts Napier leaves for Mississippi State. I know the money and resources that are there but if he fails, which is likely at Mississippi State, you set yourself back a decade. Could see him waiting on South Carolina to open up next season because barring some drastic turnaround, Muschamp is as good as gone.

And thats a better chance of success than Miss St? I see both about the same. Granted the west is a tougher road than the east, but nether team is gonna be winning their division any time soon.

I'm with you, I don't see SC as a "better" job than Miss State. When was the last time SC was a serious contender for anything other than the SEC East? They just can't sustain high levels of winning for whatever reason. Honestly if Napier can follow Mullen's blueprint he too can flip that job into an even better one. He could also end up like Croom or Moorhead if he can't right the ship but that's every P5 school. Sometimes you just got to shoot your shot.

[AppStFan1]

Part of me doubts Napier leaves for Mississippi State. I know the money and resources that are there but if he fails, which is likely at Mississippi State, you set yourself back a decade. Could see him waiting on South Carolina to open up next season because barring some drastic turnaround, Muschamp is as good as gone.

South Carolina is a dumpster fire. That won't be a good job until the AD is gone as well and the whole turmoil over their President, meaning a new President, is finished.

[AppStFan1]

Part of me doubts Napier leaves for Mississippi State. I know the money and resources that are there but if he fails, which is likely at Mississippi State, you set yourself back a decade. Could see him waiting on South Carolina to open up next season because barring some drastic turnaround, Muschamp is as good as gone.

And thats a better chance of success than Miss St? I see both about the same. Granted the west is a tougher road than the east, but nether team is gonna be winning their division any time soon.

I also mentioned other issues they have in a reply above. Them having to get past Florida and Georgia are the least of their worries but then once they figure out their own in-house problems they have that as you mentioned. Not to mention that Kentucky should be better and Tennessee appears headed on the upward swing.

[AppinATL]

Moot point. Twitter reporting Napier has turned down Mississippi State. He’s sticking it out for a chance to make it 0-9.

[AppinVA]

Moot point. Twitter reporting Napier has turned down Mississippi State. He’s sticking it out for a chance to make it 0-9.

Make that 0-10.

[Apple@chin1]

There’s a direct correlation between Napier’s extension that was just announced and this job opening. Smart move by UL to cover their butts. But, Napier gone!

https://247sports.com/Article/Louisiana ... 141580892/

Don’t look so smart this morning. Very surprised with this announcement.

[NavyApp]

There’s a direct correlation between Napier’s extension that was just announced and this job opening. Smart move by UL to cover their butts. But, Napier gone!

https://247sports.com/Article/Louisiana ... 141580892/

Don’t look so smart this morning. Very surprised with this announcement.

Love the comments on the article. "This could get Tennessee ugly" lol!

[Appstate88]

Looking at the SEC right now with current head coaches, recruiting power and resources. The SEC champion for the next several years will be one of Five teams. Georgia, Florida, Alabama, LSU, Auburn.

All the other second tier teams are fighting to get to 8-9 wins to get a to decent bowl. Or they are constantly changing coaches to appease their donors and fan base if the coach can only achieve a .500 W-L record.

Miss St. is a second tier SEC football school.

[WVAPPeer]

I think that soon Texas A&M will be in this mix - Fisher is a really good coach

[MAD Doctor]

I’d be interested in learning more about Napier’s thought process. After the past two seasons, we could certainly learn something about coaching retention. The argument that “no one, not even an alum and former player, would turn down P5 money” obviously doesn’t hold water in this case. I also am puzzled that a 17-10 second-year SBC runner up coach would be in a position to turn down ANY SEC gig.
Glad we locked in Clark so we no longer have to sweat out every coaching vacancy that comes along.

[Yosef84]

I’d be interested in learning more about Napier’s thought process. After the past two seasons, we could certainly learn something about coaching retention. The argument that “no one, not even an alum and former player, would turn down P5 money” obviously doesn’t hold water in this case. I also am puzzled that a 17-10 second-year SBC runner up coach would be in a position to turn down ANY SEC gig.
Glad we locked in Clark so we no longer have to sweat out every coaching vacancy that comes along.

I'm not sure what we will actually learn since we don't know the nature of the discussions or the offer that was made. If those discussions made it clear that the expectations were unreasonable, any coach with reason to believe more offers would come would decline. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Yes, the money is a (probably in most cases THE) driving force but maybe MSU was putting restrictions on him that he felt would prevent him from running his system. For whatever reason, I respect his decision even though I am surprised.

[hotrod2001]

I’d be interested in learning more about Napier’s thought process. After the past two seasons, we could certainly learn something about coaching retention. The argument that “no one, not even an alum and former player, would turn down P5 money” obviously doesn’t hold water in this case. I also am puzzled that a 17-10 second-year SBC runner up coach would be in a position to turn down ANY SEC gig.
Glad we locked in Clark so we no longer have to sweat out every coaching vacancy that comes along.

Coaching in those higher divisions are almost a political position. Outside of coaching and recruiting, you have to go schmoozing to deep-pocketed donors to keep them happy and still writing checks, and making sure one of those checks aren't to buy your contract out. From what I understand that's one of the daunting tasks of the UT job is dealing with the boosters.

Plus if he's expecting to play for championships, it's probably not going to happen in the SEC West. When you have Alabama, Auburn, A&M and LSU in your division the chances you're going to get to the SEC championship game is highly unlikely. Lousiana currently is on the path to being a perennial SB Championship contender, if not champion with the way they have been looking since showing Hudspeth the door.

[AppStFan1]

There’s a direct correlation between Napier’s extension that was just announced and this job opening. Smart move by UL to cover their butts. But, Napier gone!

https://247sports.com/Article/Louisiana ... 141580892/

Don’t look so smart this morning. Very surprised with this announcement.

MSU's AD is awful and he is screwing it up badly. I think he is making a smart move. I know people say these offers don't come every year but he would likely be out in a couple years. Right now there are 2 jobs in the SEC I would not touch: South Carolina and Miss State.

Now, if South Carolina struggles next year and they fire the AD Tanner and HC Muschamp then I would jump on the job if I'm Napier. He would come back home and get to coach in the SEC. I am pretty sure he is thinking that job will be open and he will be courted for it.

[ericsaid]

Part of me doubts Napier leaves for Mississippi State. I know the money and resources that are there but if he fails, which is likely at Mississippi State, you set yourself back a decade. Could see him waiting on South Carolina to open up next season because barring some drastic turnaround, Muschamp is as good as gone.

South Carolina is a dumpster fire. That won't be a good job until the AD is gone as well and the whole turmoil over their President, meaning a new President, is finished.

And if Napier holds out, it could be that he is part of regime change at South Carolina.

Edit: Called it

[ericsaid]

Part of me doubts Napier leaves for Mississippi State. I know the money and resources that are there but if he fails, which is likely at Mississippi State, you set yourself back a decade. Could see him waiting on South Carolina to open up next season because barring some drastic turnaround, Muschamp is as good as gone.

And thats a better chance of success than Miss St? I see both about the same. Granted the west is a tougher road than the east, but nether team is gonna be winning their division any time soon.

I also mentioned other issues they have in a reply above. Them having to get past Florida and Georgia are the least of their worries but then once they figure out their own in-house problems they have that as you mentioned. Not to mention that Kentucky should be better and Tennessee appears headed on the upward swing.

Well, even if he isn't holding out for South Carolina, I was correct about him turning down Mississippi State. Shouldn't be surprising, really. He's in a good situation to program build in Louisiana and as a result has that ability to pretty much write a blank check for his next job. He will be on every shortlist for any job in the south should Louisiana maintain.

[Stonewall]

I would go with Monken at MSU .I have thought for years that it's a place the triple option could work .Give him a few years to recruit his scheme and he could make them a team no one wants to play.

[AppyVanWinkle]

There’s a direct correlation between Napier’s extension that was just announced and this job opening. Smart move by UL to cover their butts. But, Napier gone!

https://247sports.com/Article/Louisiana ... 141580892/

Don’t look so smart this morning. Very surprised with this announcement.

MSU's AD is awful and he is screwing it up badly. I think he is making a smart move. I know people say these offers don't come every year but he would likely be out in a couple years. Right now there are 2 jobs in the SEC I would not touch: South Carolina and Miss State.

Now, if South Carolina struggles next year and they fire the AD Tanner and HC Muschamp then I would jump on the job if I'm Napier. He would come back home and get to coach in the SEC. I am pretty sure he is thinking that job will be open and he will be courted for it.

I'm curious as to why the general consensus (nationwide) seems to be that MSU is a “dumpster fire” job and that the AD (John Cohen) is handling the situation so poorly?

Over the past ten years, MSU has gone 79-51 (37-43 playing in SEC West) with bowl appearances in each year since 2010 and spent several weeks ranked #1 in the nation in 2014. On the flipside, South Carolina has virtually the same record (78-51 overall; 42-38 SEC) in a much weaker division over the same time period, including two seasons in which they went 4-8 and 3-9.

MSU has the facilities needed to be competitive with roughly 2/3 of the SEC, with the exception of the upper echelon programs (e.g. Bama, LSU, Auburn, etc.) and recently expanded their stadium (w/end zone facility) with further stadium renovations planned. MSU has also put a number of players in the NFL over the past 10 years as well (including several first round picks as well as Dak Prescott and some others who went in later rounds but have found success such as Benardrick McKinney and K.J. Wright).

Granted, firing Moorhead after two seasons isn’t necessarily a good look, but numerous off-the-field issues and his disparaging remarks about the fanbase at times throughout the season are what primarily fueled the administration’s decision to ultimately let him go (not his overall W-L record). Moorhead’s initial hiring at MSU was praised by the national media as he had just come off of back-to-back National Coordinator of the Year awards at Penn State, so I don’t think his initial hire reflects poorly on the MSU administration.

Nevertheless, there seems to be some buzz swirling online that Napier may be holding out to see where Matt Rhule ends up, given that he apparently has a couple of NFL interviews lined up. Baylor undoubtedly has deep pockets and obviously the pathway to success at Baylor in the Big 12 is going to be easier than it would be in the SEC.

[Stonewall]

Jerry Clower and Marcell Ledbetter