Napier Named Clemson Assistant Football Coach

Feb. 6, 2006

Billy Napier, most recently the quarterbacks coach at South Carolina State in 2005 and former all-conference quarterback at Furman, has been named tight ends coach at Clemson University. Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden made the announcement on Monday.

Napier helped South Carolina State to a 9-2 record in 2005, including a 7-1 mark in the MEAC. The Bulldog offense average 34.4 points per game last year, 17th best among the 116 Division I-AA teams. South Carolina State scored at least 23 points in every game but one, and averaged 39 points per game over the last four games of the year, all Bulldog victories.

South Carolina State was 12th in the nation in rushing and 15th in passing efficiency. They averaged 236 yards per game on the ground and 160 per game through the air. The efficient offense contributed to a fourth-place national ranking in turnover margin.

Napier had been elevated to the offensive coordinator position after the conclusion of the 2005 season by South Carolina State Head Coach Buddy Pough.

Napier served as an offensive video graduate assistant coach at Clemson in 2003 and on-field graduate assistant coach who worked with he defense in 2004. The Tigers were bowl eligible both seasons, including 2003 when the Tigers defeated two top 10 teams in Florida State and Tennessee.

Napier also gained experience as an off-campus recruiter for the Clemson program in December of 2004 and January of 2005. He helped Clemson bring in a top 25 recruiting class in February of 2005.

“I feel fortunate to accept this position with an outstanding program and respected staff at such an early age,” said Napier, who is 26. “I can’t thank coach Bowden enough for the opportunity. “I have been around outstanding coaches from the high school level, through my playing career at Furman and on to Clemson and South Carolina State as a coach. I knew I wanted to coach at an early age so I tried to soak up everything I could as a player and as a coach along the way.”

Napier was an outstanding quarterback at Furman University in nearby Greenville, SC. He lettered four years for the Paladins (1999-02) and was a two-time All-Southern Conference signal caller. A Furman team captain in 2002, he broke the Furman single season passing yardage record (2,475) and the pass completion percentage record (.685). He was a finalist for the 2002 Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top offensive player in Division I-AA.

Napier holds the Furman career record for completion percentage (.648) and is third in passing yardage with 4,247 yards. He graduated from Furman with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Health and Exercise Science in February of 2003. He is a native of Chatsworth, GA and a graduate of Murray County High School in 1998.

“I was very impressed with Billy Napier when he worked on our staff in 2003 and 2004,” said Bowden. “He will be among the youngest full-time coaches in Division I next year, and I look at that as a strong asset. He was a big reason South Carolina State had a very successful season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He will also be an asset to us in recruiting.”