It was not that long ago when Billy Napier leveraged a great season in the Sun Belt to earn a big job with the Florida Gators. Now Napier is going back to his old league to take the reins at James Madison.
The school is expected to wait to make a formal announcement until after their Conference title clash against Troy on Friday. Nonetheless, Napier is their guy. He'll take over for Bob Chesney who parlayed his success with the Dukes to take the UCLA job earlier in this year's coaching carousel.
Napier might have preferred to jump to another Power Four gig immediately, but landing at James Madison could easily turn into a dream outcome after his struggles with the Gators. The Dukes have been at the top of the conference under Chesney. That's why UCLA made such a strong move for his services.
It's also important to remember that Chesney's predecessor, Curt Cignetti, turned his success in Harrisonburg into a job at Indiana that has resulted in an undefeated season for the Hoosiers. The brand of JMU coaches has never been stronger in the minds of Power Four Athletic Directors and search firms. That's great news for Napier if he wants to take his talents back to a larger conference anytime soon.
The real question to ask is why JMU opted to change their philosophy on head coaching hires. Both Chesney and Cignetti were plucked from FCS jobs. The same is true for Mike Houston who was hired just before them. The recent shift to revenue sharing and NIL at the FBS level could explain the shift. There has never been a larger gap between FCS and FBS jobs. It's easy to see why JMU might have chosen to name a new head coach who better understands player compensation.
Is Billy Napier a good hire for James Madison?
Florida fans might disagree, but this is a very good hire for the Dukes. Napier has proven his ability to compete at a high level within their own conference. He was not a rousing success in the SEC, but he was hardly a disaster. He will arrive with immediate credibility with the current roster and recruits/portal targets who might want to make JMU home in coming seasons.
No one should be surprised if Napier finds himself back in the mix for Power Four jobs after one or two good seasons at James Madison. In fact, Gator fans who were anxious to see Napier ousted may have to eat their words if he lands for a competitor. Napier has every opportunity to come back to the SEC if he meets expectations at JMU.