Breaking Down Billy Napier as Virginia Tech's Potential Next Head Coach

Napier was relieved of his duties at Florida after leading the Gators to a 3-4 start.

Oct 18, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier looks on against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators have moved on from Billy Napier, making an already competitive coaching carousel even more flooded. The Hokies' search for their next head coach has entered an unknown state. With the coaching selection committee keeping everything under wraps, every name that can be thrown around is merely based on speculation.

Sources: Florida is firing coach Billy Napier. He’s gone 22-23 in four seasons there, and Florida is 3-4 this year. Florida has a bye week before playing Georgia on Nov. 1. pic.twitter.com/g6Qf8tdPC1

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 19, 2025

In four seasons, Napier went 22-23 through four years. Napier had a wealth of support from staff and players throughout his tenure at Florida. The timing of the firing may come as a bit of a shock, as the Gators are coming off a win against Mississippi State. Just a couple of weeks back, Napier had one of the biggest wins of his career in an upset against Texas. Nonetheless, the Gators look to go in another direction.

One school's throwaway could be another school's treasure. Virginia Tech remains adamant in exploring all avenues. Here's the resume Billy Napier has put together as he looks for a new home.

Dominance in the Sun Belt

There's no better place to start than where Napier built his name up before arriving in Gainesville.

He built the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns into a powerhouse within the Sun Belt. They won the Sun Belt West in all four seasons under Napier. Louisiana also took home the conference title in 2020 and 2021. The Ragin' Cajuns became familiar faces during bowl season, something the program was not used to under former head coaches. Napier was 23-1 in bowl games, with his first win coming against the Miami RedHawks in 2020 in the LendingTree Bowl.

Dec 4, 2021; Lafayette, LA, USA; Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns head coach Billy Napier celebrates with fans after a 24-16 victory over the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Sun Belt Conference championship game. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images | Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

That season, Louisiana finished 11-3 with only one loss in Sun Belt play. This was a historic season at the time, but it was only the start for Napier's Ragin' Cajuns. He proceeded to have a dominant 10-1 campaign in 2020. He notched his second straight bowl win against UTSA and cemented them as one of the strongest Group of Six programs in the country.

2021 was even better for Louisiana. Napier led them to a historic 13-win season. After dropping their season opener to Texas, the Ragin' Cajuns won 13 straight matchups. They capped off the most successful season in program history with a 36-21 victory against Marshall for Napier's third win in four bowl appearances. Two Sun Bowl Coach of the Year awards to accompany one of the best runs in the country, Billy Napier rode off into the sunset.

Highs and Lows in Gainesville

On November 28, 2021, Napier replaced Dan Mullen as the next head coach of the Florida Gators. The elevation that occurred in Louisiana was always going to be difficult to translate to the SEC.

His first season was filled with tough matchups. He started with an impressive victory against a then top-seven team in Utah. However, throughout the year, the interconference games were what gave him the most trouble. He kept his bowl game streak alive, but dominantly lost against Oregon State.

Oct 18, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; A fan wears a Fire Billy Napier bag over their head between the Florida Gators and Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

This season would become a normality for Florida. They won big enough games to keep the program relevant. They started 5-2 in 2023, but lost their last five games, with four of those opponents being ranked. 2024 saw the emergence of DJ Lagway, providing hope for the program's future. The Gators won their first bowl game under Napier against Tulane, 33-3.

2025 saw the same flashes against Mississippi State and Texas, but Florida had seen enough after earning just three wins in seven games.

Does Napier Fit in Blacksburg?

It's hard to look past what Napier did at Louisiana. He didn't just will them to Sun Belt success; he molded them into one of the best programs in the nation. None of that could translate to the SEC, but that doesn't mean it couldn't work in the ACC.

Napier had some gauntlet schedules during his time in Gainesville. While there are still some nationally accredited programs the Hokies will face, the competition will be nowhere near what the Gators have faced as of late. Napier also recruited exceptionally well as his tenure continued. Plenty of recruits will consider following him as the fallout of his firing settles.

Virginia Tech would benefit greatly from a personality and recruiter like Napier. There are some candidates out there who have performed better over the last four years. Napier would be a safe hire for the Hokies. The question is, how good would a "safe hire" be for them?