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James Madison Set to Hire Ex-Florida Coach, Replacing Bob Chesney After Potential CFP Bid
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James Madison has its new man.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Dukes are set to hire Billy Napier as their next head coach. He’ll replace Bob Chesney—who is set to become the next coach at UCLA—following a potential College Football Playoff appearance.
Sources: Billy Napier is finalizing a five-year deal to become the next head coach at James Madison. A formal announcement is expected on Saturday. Napier is the former coach at Louisiana and Florida.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 4, 2025
It’s a five-year deal for Napier, per Thamel.
Napier was most recently the head coach at Florida, but was fired following a 3–4 start to the 2025 season. The 46-year-old is a career offensive coach who also served as head coach of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns from 2018 to ‘21.
James Madison is in the midst of their best season in program history, riding an 11–1 record heading into this weekend’s Sun Belt championship against Troy. Should they take down the Trojans, they'll have a chance to qualify for the 2025 College Football Playoff.
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Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.