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ASU Football: What Does Billy Napier Bring to the Sun Devils?

By Hunter Robinson

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receivers coach Billy Napier with wide receiver Daylon Charlot (4) against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receivers coach Billy Napier with wide receiver Daylon Charlot (4) against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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It was officially announced today that Arizona State has hired Billy Napier as the new offensive coordinator for ASU football, but what does he bring to the program?

Prior to being hired as the offensive coordinator, Napier was the wide receivers coach at Alabama University. While at Alabama, Napier coached Amari Cooper, the successful wide receiving college star turned NFL superstar. Having coached Cooper is Napier’s claim to fame.

While it is great to bring in a coach with a proven track record, that is to be expected. ASU was never going to hire someone who hadn’t had at least some success in the past few years, the past two seasons may not have gone as planned but being a coordinator at a school like Arizona State is still an attractive job.

So what will Napier bring to the Sun Devils? Will he bring something totally fresh and new that has never been seen in the desert before? Probably not.

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Realistically, Napier can have a pretty successful first season as long as he doesn’t try to drastically change things. Last season, under Lindsey, the Arizona State offense had success. They were very dynamic on the field and they did a nice job of keeping the opposing defense on their toes. If Napier keeps a similar offensive approach to last season’s then he could very well exceed expectations.

Now, Napier can bring some things to the table that would help the offense. He has a budding star in N’Keal Harry that he can mold into ASU’s Amari Cooper. He also has the luxury of having a wealth of quarterbacks who are all capable of starting for ASU. Finally, and possibly the biggest factor, he has worked under Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban.

The reason that working under Kiffin and Saban is so important is because he has seen the best of the best. Kiffin is considered one of the best offensive minds in college football and Saban is possibly considered the best defensive mind in college ever.

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Being able to see first hand one of the best offensive minds against one of the best defensive minds gives Napier a vast amount of knowledge that, if realized and exploited, could lead ASU’s offense into a new golden age.

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