Billy Napier Returns to the Sun Belt-This Time With a CFP Contender in JMU
Four years ago, Billy Napier left the Sun Belt as a rising star, fresh off building a powerhouse at Louisiana-Lafayette. Now, he's back-but the landscape has shifted dramatically, and so has the program he's joining.
Napier is taking over at James Madison University, a team currently ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and headed to the College Football Playoff. This isn’t a rebuild.
It’s a handoff at full speed.
“This place has what it takes to dominate the competition for sure,” Napier said of JMU.
He’s not wrong. The Dukes are on the rise, and Napier’s track record in the Sun Belt speaks for itself.
During his four seasons at Louisiana, he went 40-12, won the West Division every year, and took home two conference titles. Twice named Sun Belt Coach of the Year, Napier had the Ragin’ Cajuns playing at a level few could match.
But after a 12-1 season and a second straight conference championship in 2021, Napier made the leap to Florida. The decision wasn’t just about prestige-it was about sustainability. As NIL (name, image, and likeness) rules began reshaping college football, Napier saw the writing on the wall.
“I stayed at Louisiana after Year 2 when we had opportunities, after Year 3 when we had opportunities,” Napier said. “And we probably, truth be known, would have stayed longer if it wasn’t for NIL.
Because we know that was coming. We knew that roster was going to be tough to keep together.”
A Changed Game
Napier’s time at Florida was a mixed bag. He went 22-23 over four seasons and was let go this year after a 3-4 start. But his return to the Group of Five isn’t a retreat-it’s a recalibration.
College football has evolved rapidly since Napier first took the reins at Louisiana in 2018. NIL is now fully entrenched, and the recent $2.8 billion House antitrust settlement has ushered in revenue sharing. For programs outside the Power Five, that’s a game-changer.
“It’s very different,” Napier said. “(Revenue sharing) is ultimately a huge difference maker at the Group of Six level. Now, you evaluate jobs relative to alignment, resources - which basically means building infrastructure and hiring a great staff - and then the rev share that allows you to compensate really good players.”
In other words, it’s not just about X’s and O’s anymore. It’s about building a program that can compete in the modern college football arms race. And Napier believes JMU is built for it.
But that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. With transfer rules relaxed and roster management resembling NFL free agency, Napier knows he’s stepping into a high-wire act.
“You’re going to recruit a high school cycle each year. Then you’re going to recruit a portal cycle each year. Then start over,” he said.
Navigating the Portal and the Playoff
Napier’s first challenge is a unique one: managing a playoff-bound roster that still belongs to another coach-at least for now. Bob Chesney is heading to UCLA, and the assumption is he’ll want to bring some of JMU’s top talent with him. The timing is awkward, to say the least.
“I’m for transparency,” Napier said. “Let’s rip the Band-Aid off.
Who are you taking? And who wants to go?”
It’s a fair question. JMU has already seen what happens when a coach leaves with a full Rolodex.
When Curt Cignetti departed for Indiana, he took 13 of JMU’s top players with him. That group included Kaelon Black (now Indiana’s leader in rushing TDs), Elijah Sarratt (leading in receiving scores), D’Angelo Ponds (pass breakups), and Aiden Fisher (second in tackles).
Nine former Dukes started multiple games for Indiana this season-helping the Hoosiers win the Big Ten and earn the No. 1 seed in the 12-team playoff.
So yeah, Napier’s cautious. But he’s not rattled.
A Foundation Built on Trust
For JMU, this isn’t uncharted territory. When Chesney took over after Cignetti’s departure, he essentially rebuilt the roster from scratch-bringing in 58 new players.
That kind of turnover would sink most programs. Instead, the Dukes thrived.
Athletic director Matt Roan credits that to a culture of transparency and professionalism. He said he and Chesney were upfront with each other from the moment UCLA started making calls after Week 3.
“We were very transparent throughout,” Roan said. “The day that UCLA announced that DeShaun Foster was being removed as the head coach, they started calling.
And every program in America started calling. And we would have those open, honest conversations about where things could go.
We’ve been the adults in the room.”
That same approach will be key as Napier and Chesney navigate this transition-especially with a CFP game on the horizon. JMU faces No. 5 Oregon on Saturday night, and the outcome could shift the entire offseason narrative.
Still, school leadership isn’t losing sleep over it.
“I have no doubt that we may lose some talented players to UCLA,” JMU president Jim Schmidt said. “We certainly lost some talented players to Indiana. I believe that we will retain the right players and I believe Coach Billy will bring some great players to round that out.”
Looking Ahead
Napier isn’t walking into a rebuild-he’s stepping into a program with momentum, infrastructure, and a proven ability to adapt. The challenge now is to keep that machine running in the NIL era, where every roster spot is a negotiation and every offseason is a reset.
But if Napier’s past is any indication, he’s not just ready for the challenge-he’s built for it.