HARRISONBURG, Va. – Tuesday marked a new era for James Madison football as the Dukes introduced Bob Chesney as the program’s ninth head coach.
Chesney spent the last six seasons as head coach at Holy Cross, leading the Crusaders to five consecutive Patriot League Championships since 2019 and an overall record of 44-21. In his introductory press conference Tuesday, he emphasized the importance of getting to know players individually, praised JMU’s game day atmosphere, and made it clear he doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel but rather keep the momentum going.
Recommended Videos
“I’m not here to knock down a program and build it up from scratch. You don’t need that. Unbelievable football program here. I am here to advance it and accelerate it. I’m here to add to it and not slow this down in any which way,” Chesney said.
“He’s won at every level where he’s been. Started Division III, Division II, FCS and now he’s at FBS. He really pushed Holy Cross to a place that many thought they could never go,” said Jeff Bourne, JMU Director of Athletics.
Chesney takes over a JMU program that’s in the midst of a special season. The Dukes are 11-1 and will play Air Force on December 23rd in their first bowl game in program history.