Is new UCLA coach Bob Chesney coaching James Madison today in Sun Belt Championship?
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James Madison still has an outside shot to make the College Football Playoff. The Dukes need to take care of business first Friday night and beat Troy in the Sun Belt Championship game.
Then the Dukes will need some help from Duke. If the Blue Devils win Saturday night’s ACC Championship, JMU has a real chance to make the CFP. JMU was No. 25 in the most recent CFP rankings and it’s a possibility the committee chooses James Madison over an ACC champion Duke as one of the top-ranked five conference champions.
JMU’s inclusion in the CFP could also delay the departure of head coach Bob Chesney, who is heading to UCLA as its new coach. Chesney will coach JMU tonight in the Sun Belt title game, and assuming JMU makes the CFP, it’ll be hard for him to leave before a first round game.
To date, only Lane Kiffin has left a CFP team before the CFP actually starts. Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU, and Rebels defensive coordinator Pete Golding will be at the helm.
JMU has already reportedly found Chesney’s replacement with former Florida coach Billy Napier.
Bruins fans may want to tune in to see a glimpse of their future. What style does Chesney run? How many players will he bring with him? The last JMU coach to leave for a Power Four job, Curt Cignetti, brought a big chunk of his roster to Indiana. And in two seasons in Bloomington, Cignetti and those Dukes have reached back-to-back College Football Playoffs. UCLA fans can dream.
Will Billy Napier coach JMU football today in Sun Belt Championship?
No. The former Florida and Troy head coach has not been formally hired. And Bob Chesney hasn’t started official work for UCLA yet.
Sun Belt Championship game today, time, channel
- Records: Troy (7-5), James Madison (11-1)
- Time/TV: Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Where: Harrisonburg, Virginia
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is new UCLA coach Bob Chesney coaching JMU today in Sun Belt Championship?
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