5 candidates to replace Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State
1. Billy Napier, Louisiana-Lafayette Head Coach
The Ragin’ Cajuns have reached the Sun Belt title game in both of Napier’s seasons as head coach, and they have a school-record 10 wins this season with a bowl game still to play next Monday night. So it’s no surprise the school has announced another contract extension (through the 2025 season) for him in an effort to keep him around. In those two seasons, Louisiana is 17-10 with a 12-4 mark in conference play.
Napier was the highest-paid coach in the Sun Belt this year, as he made $875,000. That seems sure to remain the case going forward, and while financial terms of his new extension weren’t disclosed it surely included a raise.
Moorhead’s buyout is reportedly around $7 million and could drop to as little as $4 million due to offset language when/if he finds new employment. So finances should not be a huge issue in the pursuit of a new head coach, and Mississippi State can surely entice Napier with a raise in pay multiple times what he’s currently making. For what it might be worth Mississippi State got a close look at Napier and his team in this year’s season opener, a fairly narrow 38-28 win for the Bulldogs.
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From his time as an assistant at Clemson and Alabama, Napier has ties to the southeast. He may not want to leave what he’s building in Lafayette right now, and no one would blame him. But Cohen and the athletic department brass at Mississippi State would be not doing full diligence in a coaching search if they don’t check in with Napier.