Napier staying at Louisiana, pulls out of South Carolina coaching search
One of the favorites for South Carolina football’s head coaching job has decided to pass on the Gamecocks.
Louisiana head coach Billy Napier was set to interview with USC athletic director Ray Tanner on Saturday, The State had previously reported, and that interview did take place, according to SportsTalk SC.
But late Saturday night, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and Yahoo Sports all reported that Napier has decided to stay with the Ragin’ Cajuns. Napier then took to social media to release a statement confirming his decision.
“It’s humbling to be considered a worthy candidate for any job opening, but it’s also important to realize this is a direct reflection of our entire organization top to bottom. ... We are excited to announce that we are moving forward at Louisiana. We look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead, and we are thankful for the opportunity to represent this community and university,” Napier’s statement read.
Napier has guided Louisiana to a 9-1 record and a top-25 ranking this season — his squad is slated to play for the Sun Belt Conference title on Dec. 19. He has ties to the Palmetto State, having spent time at Clemson, Furman and South Carolina State, and was widely considered to be one of the biggest favorites for the vacancy created three weeks ago when USC fired Will Muschamp.
With Napier out of the running, that leaves Oklahoma assistant coach Shane Beamer as seemingly the last favorite remaining. Beamer, who served as an assistant at South Carolina under coach Steve Spurrier, has earned high praise and endorsements from alums of the program and has already interviewed for the job.
Beamer’s candidacy had already received a boost Saturday when another frequently mentioned name in the search, Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield told the (Louisville) Courier-Journal he was staying with the Cardinals after interviewing with the Gamecocks.
Another name that had generated buzz as of late is Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. According to a report from FootballScoop.com, Johnson has interviewed with Tanner. Florida head coach Dan Mullen was asked about that reported interview after the Gators’ game Saturday and neither confirmed nor denied it.
“I’m happy for all our guys to get opportunities. I think we have a very underrated coaching staff,” Mullen said, according to the Gainesville Sun.
Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell has consistently been mentioned as a possible candidate given the success his Chanticleers squad has had this year. According to reports, Chadwell did interview for the job, but he has not been mentioned as a favorite as of late. However, Coastal did pull off an upset of No. 12 BYU on Saturday, moving to 10-0 on the year and elevating its profile, as well as Chadwell’s.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more details.
This story was originally published December 5, 2020 at 11:00 PM.
