Arizona St. OC Billy Napier Named Louisiana Lafayette Head Coach

Arizona State offensive coordinator Billy Napier accepted an offer on Friday to become the head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, the university announced. 

Jeff Metcalfe of AZCentral Sports first reported the news.

Napier spent one season as the Sun Devils' offensive coordinator and was named associate head coach at ASU on Dec. 5 following the hiring of Herm Edwards as head coach.

Edwards released the following statement regarding the move, courtesy of CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee:

While Napier will remain on Arizona State's staff through the Sun Bowl against NC State, his departure will force the Sun Devils to hire their fourth different offensive coordinator in four years, per Metcalfe.

Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports reported that Napier impressed vice president of athletics Ray Anderson during his one season at ASU, which is why he was promoted to associated head coach after Todd Graham's firing and Edwards' hiring.

Arizona State is 7-5 this season, and it ranks 40th in the FBS with 31.9 points per game.

Prior to his season with the Sun Devils, Napier was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Clemson, the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach at Colorado State and the wide receivers coach at Alabama.

Napier will take over a Louisiana-Lafayette team that parted ways with head coach Mark Hudspeth after seven seasons due to a 5-7 record in 2017.

The Ragin' Cajuns reached five bowl games in seven seasons under Hudspeth, going 4-1 in the New Orleans Bowl.