On Tuesday, a plane from Bridgewater landed in Gainesville. It remained there for three hours before heading back to Virginia. Shortly after, ESPN’s Pete Thamel confirmed the obvious. Billy Napier was finalizing a five-year deal to become James Madison’s next HC, ending a swift but calculated search triggered by HC Bob Chesney’s move to UCLA. Arriving with SEC and Sun Belt experience, he is inheriting a program that already operates with FBS efficiency.

“JMU has won 39 of 49 total games as an FBS program,” Ben Stevens posted on X on December 4. “The Dukes’ win pct of .796 is tied for 6th-best nationally since 2022. Billy Napier led Louisiana to its first 10-win season as an FBS program in 2019. 3 of UL’s 4 10-win seasons ever came under Napier. A great pairing.”

The numbers from both parties suggest alignment. But the real test will be whether Billy Napier can match what JMU just proved in 2025.

JMU dominated the 2025 Sun Belt postseason awards with QB Alonza Barnett III named Player of the Year and 19 players earning 20 All-Sun Belt honors. DE Trent Hendrick, freshman RB Sahir West, and Bob Chesney himself rounded out the major winners. Since joining the Sun Belt in 2022, the Dukes have earned nine major awards, underscoring their rapid rise. And the production translated directly to the field with offensive output rivaling top-25 programs.

JMU’s offensive line ranked among the nation’s best, finishing No. 10 nationally in scoring at 37.8 points per game and pacing the Sun Belt in nearly every offensive metric. The unit averaged 492.1 yards in league play and produced a top-six national rushing attack at 239.8 yards per game. Center Nick McMurtrie did not allow a sack for the second consecutive season. Their 20 All-Sun Belt selections led the league and set a school record. That momentum carried into championship weekend with legitimate playoff implications.

At 11-1 and ranked No. 25, JMU entered the Sun Belt title game with a legitimate path to the 12-team College Football Playoff. A win over Troy combined with a Duke upset in the ACC title game could have sent the Dukes into the bracket as the first Sun Belt representative. Billy Napier steps in as the program’s third straight head coach to take over a winning roster with national relevance, which is no less than a great pairing.

Billy Napier’s resume spans two conferences and includes a 40-12 tenure at Louisiana with four Sun Belt West crowns, two conference championships, and two ranked finishes. His Florida stint ended at 22-23, but the broader 62-35 career record reflects a coach who thrives in developmental environments. JMU has benefited from similar hires, going 39-10 since entering the FBS and sending its last two coaches to the Big Ten. His next major challenge arrives soon, and the opposing sideline will feature another program undergoing rapid reconstruction.

A new era collision between JMU and Virginia Tech 

James Madison and Virginia Tech will meet on September 26, 2026, and the matchup carries added intrigue with proven HCs taking over both programs. HC James Franklin has spent his first weeks in Blacksburg rebuilding an operation that collapsed late in his Penn State tenure. Unlike Billy Napier, the Hokies HC inherited a depleted structure and a class that ranked No. 124. 

In two weeks, James Franklin elevated it to No. 22 by flipping 10 Penn State commitments, signing 11 of his former targets, and delivering VT’s best class since 2013. Twenty-three players decommitted from Penn State after his firing, and many immediately reunited with him. His aggressive recruiting surge positions the matchup as an early referendum on both programs’ new leadership.

James Madison’s incoming class does not feature top-end star ratings, but it ranks as the best in program history. CB Kamden Jennings, TE John-Patrick Oates, and WR Ben Whitver highlight a group built on depth, retention, and system fit. Several commits remain unsigned, but JMU expects to keep the class intact. For Billy Napier, the foundation is stable while the rebuild is urgent for James Franklin. That September meeting will measure both approaches.