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After guiding James Madison to one of the most successful seasons in program history, Bob Chesney has been named a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
Chesney is one of eight coaches still in contention for the national honor, joining Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Mario Cristobal (Miami), Mike Elko (Texas A&M), Tony Elliott (Virginia), Dan Lanning (Oregon), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt) and Joey McGuire (Texas Tech).
In addition to the finalist nod, Chesney earned Bear Bryant Group of 6 Coach of the Year recognition — an award that places James Madison at the top among programs from the Sun Belt, AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Pac-12.
The Dukes finished the 2025 season with a 12–2 record and a perfect 8–0 run in Sun Belt Conference play. A 31–14 win over Troy in the conference title game secured the league championship and helped JMU earn the No. 12 seed in the College Football Playoff as the fifth-highest ranked conference champion.
During the regular season, JMU rattled off 11 straight wins — an FBS-era program record — and closed the year ranked 19th in both the AP and Coaches polls. The Dukes dominated league statistics, leading the Sun Belt in scoring offense and defense, total offense and defense, and ranking first in rushing on both sides of the ball.
JMU’s success was reflected in postseason honors as well. The Dukes claimed four major Sun Belt awards and a program-record 19 All-Sun Belt selections. Chesney was named Coach of the Year, while Alonza Barnett earned Player of the Year honors, Trent Hendrick was Defensive Player of the Year and Sahir West took home Freshman of the Year. Wayne Knight, Hendrick and Pat McMurtrie also received FBS All-America recognition, with Knight landing Second Team honors from four organizations.
Now in its 40th year, the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award is presented after the national champion is crowned and recognizes a coach’s impact on the game through leadership, integrity and competitive excellence. The winner will be announced Jan. 21 at an awards ceremony in Houston.
SOURCE: JMU Athletics