Arizona State’s search for a new offensive coordinator lasted exactly one week, as Billy Napier who spent the last five years on the Crimson Tide staff as its wide receivers coach was hired as the Sun Devils’ newest assistant coach replacing Chip Lindsey. Napier will also coach quarterbacks at ASU.
At Alabama Napier, coached Amari Cooper Alabama’s career receptions leader who was taken No. 4 overall in the NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. Last season he coached standouts junior ArDarius Stewart and sophomore Calvin Ridley. Napier spent the 2011 season on the Alabama staff as an offensive analyst, helping the Crimson Tide win the 2011 BCS national championship.
In between his two stints in Tuscaloosa, Napier spent the 2012 campaign as Colorado State’s quarterbacks coach.
Napier also had two different stints at Clemson. During Napier's final two seasons at Clemson he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. At the age of 29, he became the youngest coordinator in Clemson history. In his first season as CU's coordinator, the 2009 Tigers scored a school-record 436 points and collected 54 touchdowns (third-most in school history), averaged 5.73 yards per play (fourth best) and finished as the ACC Atlantic Division champions. Quarterback Kyle Parker was named a Freshman All-American and nine players Napier coached from 2009-10 went on to have careers in the NFL.
Napier also served as Clemson's recruiting coordinator from 2006-08. In those three seasons, he compiled two top-25 recruiting classes, according to Rivals.com, and in 2008, his class was tabbed as the second-best in the nation by ESPN.com. Known to his peers as a top recruiter, Napier signed several players who went on to the NFL, including Kavell Conner, Crezdon Butler, Brandon Thompson and Marcus Gilchrist.
Napier was the 2007-08 tight ends coach at Clemson. In his first year back with Clemson (2006), Napier worked primarily with the Tigers' tight ends but also was responsible for the punt team and assisted in several special-teams capacities. In 2005, Napier spent one season as the quarterbacks coach and play caller at South Carolina State. The Bulldogs finished the year 9-2 and ranked among the nation's best in several offensive categories, including: rushing (12th), passing efficiency (15th) and scoring offense (17th).
Napier began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant at Clemson in 2003-04. The Tigers won nine games, including the Peach Bowl against Tennessee. The following season, Napier was a graduate assistant on defense, and gained his first experience with recruiting off the field.
As a player, Napier was a four-year letter winner and two-time All-Southern Conference selection as the starting quarterback at Furman. The Paladins won two conference championships and in 2001, Napier's junior year, advanced to the Division I-AA national championship game, losing to Montana. He completed 64.8 percent of his career passes, setting a school record. As the team captain during a record-setting senior season, Napier amassed 2,475 passing yards, also a Furman record, and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the nation's most outstanding FCS offensive player.
Napier coached with Chad Morris at Clemson. Morris coached with ASU head coach Todd Graham at Tulsa and was undoubtedly a significant factor identifying Napier as a candidate and vetting him for his position with the Sun Devils. Napier’s familiarity with ASU’s newcomer signal caller and Alabama transfer, Blake Barnett, was another aspect that was important in the hiring process.
