Fansided

5 candidates to replace Matt Rhule as Baylor football head coach

By Brad Berreman

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears looks on during the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 01, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears looks on during the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 01, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Mandatory Credit: Bobby McDuffie/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Bobby McDuffie/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

1. Billy Napier, Louisiana-Lafayette Head Coach

The Ragin’ Cajuns’ have reached the Sun Belt title game in Napier’s first two seasons as head coach. A program-record 11 wins came this year, capped by a win in the Lending Tree Bowl over Miami of Ohio on Monday night.

247Sports has already pointed to Napier as a “serious candidate” for the Baylor job. He has had to refute reports suggesting he’s a candidate at Mississippi State, as much as a coach can be believed in these type of situations (see Nick Saban telling the media he would not be the next coach at Alabama, then landing in Tuscaloosa a matter of days later).

It’s fair to say we’ve made a decision that I’m not a candidate for that job. I just want to get that out of the way,” Napier said, via Al.com. “… It’s very humbling when you do have opportunities and your name comes up in connection with jobs like that. I think it’s a product of our success.

ULL recently gave Napier a contract extension through 2025, in a clear effort to do whatever possible to keep him from leaving anytime soon. But his buyout should still be no issue for any bigger school, to go with a nice fresh contract to blow what a Sun Belt school can do out of the water financially.

Napier may want to keep building something of note in Lafayette, and there’s room for that sentiment if he wants to stay for at least another year. But Baylor can and should be ready to try and compel him to leave.

Next. 30 biggest college football scandals of all time. dark

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.

Home/College Football