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Billy Napier tasks himself with continuing to make history as James Madison’s coach
Napier’s five-year contract guarantees $965,000 annually, placing him among the top five Sun Belt Conference coaches in pay, with added revenue-sharing for staff retention.
- On Dec 10, 2025, James Madison University introduced Billy Napier as head coach in Harrisonburg, succeeding Bob Chesney with a five-year contract paying $965,000 annually.
- Following Chesney's departure to UCLA, JMU hired its fifth coach in 10 years, tapping Napier to bring stability amid its College Football Playoff appearance.
- The contract specifies buyouts and revenue-sharing, including a $2.5 million buyout before 2029 and top-level staff pay with the highest Sun Belt revenue share, Matt Roan said, `This could be the price for success`.
- Billy Napier said he'll prioritize meeting and retaining current JMU players and hiring JMU coaching staff, `Calling the next 90 days`, Napier said, adding `We certainly have enough resources to be competitive` and `This is about building a sustainable program that can have continued success.`
- Having dominated the Sun Belt at Louisiana with a 40-12 record, Napier's four years at Florida yielded only one winning season at 8-5, and he was 3-4 when fired this season.
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20 Articles
Richmond Times-Dispatch+3 Reposted by 3 other sources
Billy Napier officially introduced as James Madison head coach
James Madison officially welcomed Billy Napier as its 10th football coach in program history Wednesday, holding an introductory press conference in the Atlantic Union Bank Center for the general public.
·Richmond, United States
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Associated Press News+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Billy Napier tasks himself with continuing to make history as James Madison's coach
Billy Napier will be watching 12th-seeded James Madison’s College Football Playoff game against fifth-seeded Oregon with an eye toward the future.
·United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left8Leaning Right4Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Left, 40% Center
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left, 40% of the sources are Center
40% Center
L 40%
C 40%
R 20%
Factuality
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