Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Football head coach Billy Napier has tested positive for COVID-19, the team said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
Napier began exhibiting symptoms during the evening on Tuesday, November 17, and began self-isolation. Napier took both an antigen test and a routine molecular test on Wednesday and received negative results from both. His symptoms persisted, and he received a positive test result on Saturday from a PCR test on Friday, Nov. 20.
Coach Napier will continue his isolation as he quarantines away from the rest of his family.
The football program will resume practice on Saturday after halting team operations from Tuesday-Friday.
Pending a successful recovery, Napier will travel separately from the team to Monroe for Louisiana's Nov. 28 game against ULM.
Napier said in a statement that he will be "following all guidelines set forth by our team medical staff and local public health officials." His full statement is below:
I would first and foremost like to thank everyone involved for their support of our entire organization this past week. I recently tested positive for COVID-19 and will be isolating from my family, who have all remained healthy. I will be following all guidelines and recommendations set forth by our team medical staff and local public health officials. I am proud of how our student athletes and staff have responded to this adversity. I challenge everyone, myself included, to adhere to all safety recommendations as we navigate this unprecedented time.
Louisiana was set to play Central Arkansas in the Cajuns' home finale Saturday, but the team's athletic department announced Wednesday that the game was canceled due to COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing within the program.
According to a release, a total of 33 student-athletes were in the program's COVID-19 safety protocol as of Wednesday, which is a combination of contact tracing, isolation, quarantine and recovering cases.
The Cajuns are scheduled to take on ULM in Monroe on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2 p.m. The game will air on ESPN3.
— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) November 21, 2020
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