James Madison is expected to hire Billy Napier as their next head coach.
Billy Napier Heads to James Madison
BREAKING: JMU is working to finalize a deal to hire former Florida coach Billy Napier, @PeteNakos & @clowfb report👀https://t.co/9DzzNA6vuw https://t.co/m56Gy3dSCD pic.twitter.com/We2e8W9qma
— On3 (@On3sports) December 4, 2025
Napier is heading back to the Sun Belt.
Per On3, James Madison is finalizing a deal to hire Napier, who spent the last four seasons as the head coach of the Florida Gators.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Napier is signing a five-year deal. An announcement is expected on Saturday.
Napier replaces Bob Chesney, who left James Madison to become the next head coach of the UCLA Bruins.
No. 25 James Madison faces Troy in the Sun Belt Conference Championship on Friday, Dec. 5. Chesney will coach James Madison in that game.
James Madison also has an outside chance of making the College Football Playoff.
The five highest-ranked conference champions earn automatic bids to the CFP. In the last rankings, the last two spots would be awarded to Virginia (ACC) and Tulane (AAC). If Virginia loses to unranked Duke, the committee could award the final spot to James Madison if the Dukes win the Sun Belt.
Chesney is also expected to coach James Madison if they make the College Football Playoff.
Napier has ties to the Sun Belt Conference. In 2018, Napier was named the head coach of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. In four seasons, Napier led Louisiana to four Sun Belt Conference championship games, winning twice in 2020 and 2021.
Napier went 40–12 in his four seasons at Louisiana.
Following the 2021 season, Napier was hired as the head coach at Florida, replacing Dan Mullen. Napier struggled in his first two seasons, posting a combined record of 11-14. Florida lost the Las Vegas Bowl in 2022.
Napier’s third season was his best, as he finished 8-5 while winning the Gasparilla Bowl.
Napier started the 2025 campaign 3-4, highlighted by a win over then-No. 9-ranked Texas.
After defeating Mississippi State on Oct. 18, Florida fired Napier the following day. Napier’s .489 winning percentage was the worst by a Florida coach since Raymond Wolf (1946-49).
College Coaching Carousel
Recent hours revealed increased confidence from a variety of conversations at Penn State, Iowa State and nationally, that momentum is building between PSU and Matt Campbell.
Anticipated roster resources are an enticing piece. Campbell long considered a "do-more-with-less" coach. https://t.co/BEz5FilWzZ pic.twitter.com/IrQppbw8I5
— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake) December 4, 2025
Most of the Power 4 head coaching vacancies have been filled.
However, Penn State remains without a coach. Ever since the Nittany Lions fired James Franklin in October, Penn State has looked like a university without a plan.
Opposing coaches are either turning the job down or using the Penn State opening as leverage to get a raise from their respective programs.
Iowa State’s Matt Campbell appears to be Penn State’s current target.
Other open jobs include Tulane, Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Cal, and UConn.
