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.”

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