Some offers are beyond negotiation, and when Billy Napier called Bryan Schor to return home to James Madison, that was it for him. Schor was the quarterback who led the team to the 2016 FCS National Championship. Now, Napier is bringing him back once again onto the field, but now as a guiding force that will bring back their championship glory.

Bryan Schor received a call from Billy Napier at 8 p.m. on Jan. 7, and he was told it was time to come back home to James Madison. After the call, Schor quickly spoke with his wife and then called Napier back within a minute to say yes. He returned to the program and took a new job as the Dukes’ tight ends coach. He brings his championship experience as a former player and also understands the history and culture of the team very well.

After finishing his playing career, Schor first left football and started working in the insurance business in Northern Virginia. But after some time, he realizes he misses football a lot and does not feel happy in a normal office job. He understands that a corporate career is not what he wants for his life or future goals, so he decided to leave it and return to coaching football.

“I guess as a young person, I didn’t know how much I was missing it,” Schor said. “I had a really good job, but every day I sat down, and I knew this wasn’t what I wanted to do. I knew this wasn’t what I wanted to tell my grandkids, I did.”

Schor slowly finds his way back into football coaching after leaving his office job. He worked at East Carolina and then at Georgia Southern, gaining more coaching experience at both places. Later, when Billy Napier became the new head coach at James Madison, he made it a priority to bring Schor back to the program.

Napier wanted him because Schor already understands JMU very well, has experience as a former championship player, and has learned more through his coaching stops at other schools.

“There’s a certain pride that he has about the place,” Napier said. “His experience on championship teams and his perspective from a player standpoint…all the different coaches that he observed, staffs, and teams he was a part of.”

Schor’s quarterback background also helps explain why Billy Napier valued him for this role. He sees the full play, not just one assignment, and that can help tight ends understand not only what to do on their own routes or blocks but also how the entire play works and what the quarterback is looking for. On top of that, Billy Napier had a deep ideation on what Bryan Schor can actually bring to that position.

Billy Napier’s rationale behind bringing Bryan Schor as the TE coach

Billy Napier explained that the tight end position had become very complicated. He said players in this role had to do many jobs, including blocking in the run game, protecting the quarterback in passing plays, and running routes on the outside. So, to bring all perspectives into one line, Napier brought Schor onto the team.

The team has indeed changed a lot after they transitioned from the FBS level and their College Football Playoff appearance. But even with all these big changes, Schor still felt that the core identity of JMU football had stayed the same.

“There’s a tie to the players that I haven’t had before,” Schor said. “Having been a former player here, there’s an emotional tie for me and one I’m going to dive into.”

In 2025, JMU’s tight end group included Luke Kyle, Brandon Hnat, Riley Post, and Eric Gurela. They mostly played supporting roles instead of being the main targets in the offense. The tight ends helped more with blocking and the run game, while the team focused more on wide receivers and running the ball.

But going forward, this is expected to change. The tight end position will probably become more important in the offense. Now, it will be interesting to see that transition under Billy Napier after two losing seasons with Florida.