Florida Football: 3 reasons Billy Napier is the right coach for the Gators

2. Napier does have the pedigree

Dan Mullen was the hire everyone wanted in 2018. The last time Florida won national titles and had one of the most potent offenses in college football, Mullen was the offensive coordinator. When Mullen left Gainesville for Starkville, it did seem as if both the Gators and him had their eyes on one another.

When Mullen was let go by Florida, it stood to reason that the Gators wanted someone with a strong pedigree. Let’s be clear here; there are no set criteria to determine who will and who will not be a good head coach.

There are certain traits many college head coaches have in common, however.

Billy Napier does have some of those qualities. He runs a tightly organized football program with a foundation recruiting. These characteristics should not come as a surprise considering where his inspiration for running a program.

Napier’s coaching career began at Clemson, learning from Dabo Swiney. After leaving Clemson, Napier served as an analyst under Nick Saban at Alabama. He was offensive coordinator at Arizona State under Todd Graham.

Napier has served under two of the best coaches of this or any generation. It is no surprise that he was successful in his first chance at being a head coach.

It remains to be seen if he will have success in Gainsville.