Tennessee football: 5 coaching replacements for Jeremy Pruitt

1. Billy Napier, Louisiana

Napier’s inclusion on the list might be a bit startling, as he famously forced Auburn to go after Harsin after turning them down, but there might be a chance that he either views Tennessee, which is away from dreaded Alabama in the SEC East, as a better spot for him. After spending four years under Saban as Alabama’s wide receiver coach, Napier moved to Arizona State as an OC before taking the Ragin’ Cajuns job in 2018.

Under Napier, Louisiana has become one of the truly elite Group of Five programs. A 7-7 season in 2018 was followed up by a 10-3 year in 2019 and a standout 11-1 season in 2020 that saw them end the year ranked 15th in the country while upsetting Matt Campbell and Iowa State. If Napier stays in the south, he could find a home at a Power 5 school by choosing Tennessee.

Napier helped recruit oodles of wide receiver talent to Bama, and his ability to both call plays and formulate a balanced offense helped Louisiana become kings of the Sun Belt after Satterfield left for Appalachian State. The only coach with a proven record of success as a coach in the FBS, a history of recruiting well in the south, and enough acumen to turn the offense around is Napier, who would be a home run hire for the Vols.

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