A couple of quick hits on Billy Napier leaving to become the new head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette…
Assistant coaches and coordinators come and go so now the former Arizona State offensive coordinator Napier’s departure shouldn’t be viewed as the death-blow that some are making it out to be.
Yes, Ray Anderson (yep, I am the “In Ray, I Trust”) guy
https://www.sports360az.com/2017/12/tired-ifs-around-asu-football/
made a big to-do about keeping Napier, giving him a new contract, title, so-on and so-forth. Those who hated the hire of Herm Edwards would have more reason to think that Ray Anderson doesn’t know what he’s doing. I’d suggest you might want to take a breath and see how it turns out on the field in 2018.
Keeping assistant coaches has been a problem at Arizona State. That’s no secret. Napier leaving for a head coaching job at a non-Power 5 program would be viewed in most circles as a someone jumping ship a couple of weeks into the Edwards era. Perhaps Napier aspires to be a head coach now rather than waiting. He’s 38, so taking a head coaching job in SEC country would be a better set-up for him long-term than staying in Tempe from my view.
Coaches are mercenaries. Signing a two-year contract and leaving two weeks later shouldn’t surprise anybody.
With LOI Day Wednesday, it’s another blow to the 2018 class. The optics of the Herm Edwards hire take another hit. But winners get past all of the noise and find ways to overcome. When Mike Norvell left for Memphis I heard the same tone as I am this morning. I want assistant coaches and coordinators to be pursued by others. If the phone doesn’t ring, it means you don’t have the right guys on staff.
