Job speculation and being questioned about openings at press conferences is nothing new for head coaches around college football. James Franklin, Jimbo Fisher, Dave Aranda, Lincoln Riley, and this list goes on for coaches being asked about the openings at LSU, Florida, and USC.
More often than not you will have coaches that will avoid the question entirely, provide a denial, provide a nondenial denial, or like Mike Tomlin did and get heated by the mere thought of going to another job. Then you have current Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Billy Napier.
He has been linked to the LSU Tigers job, as well as Florida and Virginia Tech. Is this the year that a school and an athletic director finally draw him out of the Bayou? Or perhaps he doesn’t leave the Bayou and heads over to Death Valley?
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When asked about the job openings, Napier had a much different approach than other coaches. Fisher said he would be the dumbest man on the planet to leave College Station. Franklin said he wasn’t going anywhere. Tomlin said this would be the last time he would address the question. Napier on the other hand didn’t say no.
After Wednesday’s practice, the Ragin’ Cajuns’ head coach simply stated “there is no decision yet.”
Much different answer than some might have expected. A coach that was connected to Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee sounded more like a coach ready to make a move.
The whispers around Napier have indicated that he would likely take the LSU job if offered. What is unknown is would that be the same case for Florida, who has shown interest?
Hold onto your seats, the next week or so will be wild.