After a humbling exit from Florida, Billy Napier isn’t just changing jobs at James Madison. He’s rebuilding his reputation, one crucial hire at a time. After the 4-8 season with the Gators and getting fired, Napier isn’t taking chances anymore. He is eyeing two talented staff members who can make an immediate impact on the team.

As per CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz, Billy Napier is hiring Toledo’s wide receiver RJ Fleming and Gators OL coach Rob Sale while retaining JMU’s Nickels coach Kyle Barnes on the team.

Napier is taking in RJ Fleming for the same position. Last year, Fleming coached two first-team All-MAC wide receivers, Jerjuan Newton and Junior Vandeross. What might have impressed Napier is Fleming’s ability to make an immediate impact. As in his first season at Toledo, he led the MAC in receiving yards (3,089), receiving yards per game (220.6), yards per catch (8.2), and 26 receiving touchdowns.

With 10 years of college coaching experience, Fleming has built a diverse resume across multiple programs. Fleming’s track record shows a consistent ability to elevate offenses, from ranking 12th nationally in red zone offense at Texas State to leading the MAC in multiple receiving categories at Toledo, demonstrating the immediate impact Napier is looking for.

Then there’s Kyle Barnes, who serves as the coach of Nickels at James Madison, and Napier is retaining him from Bob Chesney’s former staff, promoting him to the position of cornerback coach.

This decision follows an examination of Barnes’s solid resume. In his first season at JMU, he was part of a defensive staff that ranked 21st in scoring defense, allowing 20.5 points per game, and 23rd in total defense, yielding 321.8 yards per game. His nickel room accounted for a pair of interceptions, six breakups, and a forced fumble last year.

However, there’s a high chance he might follow Bob Chesney at UCLA, as he spent three total seasons under him at Holy Cross, where he was the cornerbacks coach. During his tenure, he helped them advance to the Patriot League Championship and qualify for the FCS playoffs in 2022.

By retaining Barnes, Billy Napier is bringing his former Gators OL coach, Rob Sale, into the team. Sale brings NFL experience, having coached at the New York Giants in 2021. He even turned heads in Florida last season with victories over LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State, and Tulane. He developed players like Jake Slaughter, who was named a First Team All-American by AP and an All-American by ESPN.

Statistically, the offensive line helped the Gators rank ninth in passing yards per completion at 14.11 yards. The team didn’t allow a sack in four separate games during the 2024 season, while allowing 20 overall for the season.

Getting someone like him on board might give them another playoff berth next season, especially when Billy Napier knows him pretty well.

Billy Napier’s long-standing ties with the Gators’ OL Coach

Billy Napier didn’t just hire Rob Sale because of familiarity at Florida; he did it because of years of trust in him. Sale and Napier’s professional relationship began in 2011 at the University of Alabama, where both served as offensive analysts under Nick Saban. That shared experience laid the foundation for a long-standing coaching partnership rooted in structure and efficiency.

That shared experience fostered a similar coaching philosophy between them, as Sale explains.

“Me and Coach Napier think the same way when it comes to evaluation and evaluating at all positions,” Sale said. “He has the ultimate say-so being the head coach. Coach Napier is very good at evaluating the offensive line.”

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After Alabama’s stint, both of them reunited at Arizona State, where Sale coached the offensive line and coordinated the run game while Napier served as offensive coordinator. That collaboration strengthened their on-field chemistry. After that, Napier accepted the head coaching position at Louisiana and brought Sale with him as OC and OL coach from 2018 to 2020.

During that time, Sale engineered a potent, high-scoring offense with the Ragin’ Cajuns, averaging more than 31 points and 210 rushing yards per game. Now, that collaboration will do wonders at James Madison.