The Dukes’ 31–14 win over Troy in the Sun Belt championship game gave HC Bob Chesney’s squad a major boost in the playoff conversation. Despite their 12–1 record, JMU fans worried their head coach might soon leave for UCLA. However, the question of how the Dukes would navigate the playoffs without him didn’t linger for long. The 48-year-old ended all speculation during the post-game press conference.

Bob Chesney said “Yes” straight away to him coaching the Dukes for the college football playoffs. “The bowl game we’re still talking about right now, me and Matt Roan (JMU AD), but definitively in the college football,” said the HC on December 6th. “The college football playoff conversation, they stay the course. Then you continue to just go through everything that they’ve gone through. This is a very mature team that can handle almost anything. I’ve not been around a team that can stay as focused as they do and keep their eye on the prize.”

While the HC praised the team and their mentality, the path was not straightforward. The worry first arose when the Dukes had an 11-1 record and were ready to clash with Troy in the Sun Belt Championship. But Chesney’s impending exit, sealed in a five-year Bruins pact, sparked real fears of split focus.

Reports buzzed about players eyeing portal jumps. Troy reps even claimed JMU might not stay “100% locked in,” blaming the coach’s cross-country distraction. However, UCLA cut a deal letting Chesney ride out JMU’s postseason. Sources such as Pete Thamel reported that the Bruins green-lit him to coach a potential CFP run, too, if the Dukes punched their ticket.

They prioritized JMU’s 8-0 conference dominance and No. 25 ranking over any lame-duck drama. Amid the media circus, Chesney himself doubled down in pressers, stating, “control the controllables” to keep his squad dialed in.​​ And boy, did they deliver perfectly against the Troy Trojans.

Under the lights at Bridgeforth Stadium, the Dukes turned chaos into a full-on coronation. Running back Wayne Knight stole the show, earning game MVP after a career-best night. He piled up 212 rushing yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 73-yard burst. It’s the longest run in Sun Belt title game history. Holding a 24–14 lead late in the fourth, the Dukes sealed the win when Sahir West strip-sacked the quarterback, and Drew Spinogatti scooped it up and ran it back 22 yards for the dagger touchdown.

JMU’s defense kept the momentum rolling. In the second half, they shut down Troy, allowing just 45 total yards. This win makes it their first conference crown since the 2021 Colonial Athletic Association title. The victory also keeps James Madison’s 11-game streak alive, and they still have an outside shot at a College Football Playoff berth.

However, nothing is confirmed until the rest of the championship weekend plays out. That’s because they’ll also need Duke to pull off an upset against Virginia in the ACC title game to finish ahead of the Blue Devils. If there were ever a season where two Group of Five champs could sneak into the playoff, this would be it.

Bob Chesney is packing bags for Los Angeles 

UCLA’s interest in Chesney is spot on. He went 9–4 in his first season at JMU and is now putting together a breakout year. The Dukes’ conference domination has them eyeing a Group of Five CFP spot, and Chesney’s track record backs it up. With a 131–51 career record and seven titles, he’s shown he can make the jump to the FBS without missing a beat. As per Kalshi’s prediction markets, Chesney is surging past 80% as the top choice. He did not shy away from confirming when his next chapter with UCLA will be official.

“I don’t know if that’s officially 100% come out, but tomorrow at noon we should have a little bit more clarity on that.”

UCLA wasn’t messing around. Reports of a $6-7 million annual offer are already out in the open. It’s a jaw-dropping leap from Chesney’s $833,495 JMU paycheck. That’s Power 5 cash talking. It’s pretty enough to cover his $1.25 million buyout from a Dukes’ contract running to 2028, no sweat. Why him? Apart from the records, defensive wizardry sealed the pitch.

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Chesney’s Dukes ranked #1 in the Sun Belt scoring defense, allowing 15.8 points per game and 253.5 total yards. QB Alonza Barnett III gushed to The Athletic, “Coach Ches emphasizes the team, getting to know the guy next to you.” It’s a culture that the Bruins squad starved for. Brent Brennan from Arizona lurked as Plan B, but Chesney, the Pennsylvania product eyed for Penn State too, screamed UCLA fit amid their 11-1 threshold tease.