Billy Napier hires former Jackson State coach for James Madison
Now firmly installed as head coach James Madison, Bill Napier has hired former HBCU coach from Jackson State. CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported Sunday that Napier has hired Kali James to his coaching staff as a defensive line coach.
“James Madison set to hire Western Kentucky’s Kali James as defensive line coach, source says
@CBSSports. He helped VKU rank second in the CUSA in scoring defense. He previously worked at Jackson State and as a DL assistant coach under Billy Napier at Florida. We are now reuniting with Napier at JMU,” he said.
James joins the staff at James Madison after completing his tenure as defensive line coach and running back coordinator at Jackson State through the 2024 season. In his only campaign with the Tigers, James was a key part of a historically successful year. He helped lead and strategize the team, culminating in a hard-fought victory in the SVAC Championship.
Moreover, James was instrumental in preparing the defensive unit for the postseason, leading the Tigers to a triumphant victory in the Cricket Celebration Bowl against their formidable opponent, South Carolina State. His contributions in managing the run defense and coaching the defensive line proved vital to the team’s overall success in winning both major titles that season.
James then became the defensive tackles coach at Western Kentucky this past season. VKU finished 8-4 and had one of the best scoring defenses in Conference USA. He now joins a James Madison program that recently entered the College Football Playoff and is looking to further extend that success with Napier at the helm of the program.
2025-12-15 23:01:00
