2014–2026 performance history

James Madison over time

Season-by-season offense and defense game grades, with head-coaching changes placed on the timeline.

Sun BeltHead coach: Billy NapierView James Madison games →
Offense · 2026 estimate69.6/100

66.2 average through 2 games

70.4 prior · 8 equivalent games
Defense · 2026 estimate83.9/100

69.3 average through 2 games

86.7 prior · 8 equivalent games

The trajectory

Game and Season Unit Ratings

Each small dot is one offensive or defensive game rating, arranged in the order played. For completed seasons, the short bar is that season’s average game rating. Both dot and bar values are labeled on a percentile scale. For 2026, the bar is the Bayesian estimate, while the outlined circle is the empirical games-only mean. Labeled background bands show each head coach’s era.

James Madison individual offense and defense game grades by seasonEach small point is one game. Horizontal bars show completed-season means and the Bayesian estimate for 2026. The outlined 2026 circle is the empirical games-only mean. Alternating labeled bands identify head-coaching eras.Cignetti · ’22–’23Curt Cignetti, 2022–2023Chesney · ’24–’25Bob Chesney, 2024–2025NapierBilly Napier, 2026offenseGame-grade percentile · higher is better9975502512022 Week 1: James Madison vs. Middle Tennessee · W 44–7; offense 78.2 percentile2022 Week 2: James Madison vs. Norfolk State · W 63–7; offense 59.7 percentile2022 Week 4: James Madison at App State · W 32–28; offense 63.3 percentile2022 Week 5: James Madison vs. Texas State · W 40–13; offense 36.9 percentile2022 Week 6: James Madison at Arkansas State · W 42–20; offense 95.7 percentile2022 Week 7: James Madison at Georgia Southern · L 38–45; offense 63.4 percentile2022 Week 10: James Madison at Louisville · L 10–34; offense 23.2 percentile2022 Week 11: James Madison at Old Dominion · W 37–3; offense 68.3 percentile2022 Week 12: James Madison vs. Georgia State · W 42–40; offense 70.7 percentile2022 Week 13: James Madison vs. Coastal Carolina · W 47–7; offense 82.3 percentile2023 Week 1: James Madison vs. Bucknell · W 38–3; offense 14.8 percentile2023 Week 2: James Madison at Virginia · W 36–35; offense 69.1 percentile2023 Week 3: James Madison at Troy · W 16–14; offense 16.3 percentile2023 Week 4: James Madison at Utah State · W 45–38; offense 64.3 percentile2023 Week 5: James Madison vs. South Alabama · W 31–23; offense 23.2 percentile2023 Week 7: James Madison vs. Georgia Southern · W 41–13; offense 75.1 percentile2023 Week 9: James Madison vs. Old Dominion · W 30–27; offense 58.0 percentile2023 Week 10: James Madison at Georgia State · W 42–14; offense 93.1 percentile2023 Week 11: James Madison vs. UConn · W 44–6; offense 65.8 percentile2023 Week 12: James Madison vs. App State · L 23–26; offense 9.1 percentile2023 Week 13: James Madison at Coastal Carolina · W 56–14; offense 95.5 percentile2023 Week 1: James Madison vs. Air Force · L 21–31; offense 33.1 percentile2024 Week 1: James Madison at Charlotte · W 30–7; offense 35.9 percentile2024 Week 2: James Madison vs. Gardner-Webb · W 13–6; offense 6.0 percentile2024 Week 4: James Madison at North Carolina · W 70–50; offense 97.2 percentile2024 Week 5: James Madison vs. Ball State · W 63–7; offense 97.2 percentile2024 Week 6: James Madison at UL Monroe · L 19–21; offense 44.2 percentile2024 Week 7: James Madison vs. Coastal Carolina · W 39–7; offense 69.1 percentile2024 Week 8: James Madison at Georgia Southern · L 14–28; offense 13.4 percentile2024 Week 9: James Madison vs. Southern Miss · W 32–15; offense 1.3 percentile2024 Week 11: James Madison vs. Georgia State · W 38–7; offense 74.9 percentile2024 Week 12: James Madison at Old Dominion · W 35–32; offense 51.3 percentile2024 Week 13: James Madison at App State · L 20–34; offense 12.7 percentile2024 Week 1: James Madison vs. Western Kentucky · W 27–17; offense 47.1 percentile2025 Week 1: James Madison vs. Weber State · W 45–10; offense 36.2 percentile2025 Week 2: James Madison at Louisville · L 14–28; offense 25.7 percentile2025 Week 4: James Madison at Liberty · W 31–13; offense 92.4 percentile2025 Week 5: James Madison vs. Georgia Southern · W 35–10; offense 61.2 percentile2025 Week 6: James Madison at Georgia State · W 14–7; offense 7.6 percentile2025 Week 7: James Madison vs. Louisiana · W 24–14; offense 37.6 percentile2025 Week 8: James Madison vs. Old Dominion · W 63–27; offense 93.9 percentile2025 Week 10: James Madison at Texas State · W 52–20; offense 99.2 percentile2025 Week 11: James Madison at Marshall · W 35–23; offense 86.3 percentile2025 Week 12: James Madison vs. App State · W 58–10; offense 84.6 percentile2025 Week 13: James Madison vs. Washington State · W 24–20; offense 64.5 percentile2025 Week 14: James Madison at Coastal Carolina · W 59–10; offense 91.5 percentile2025 Week 15: James Madison vs. Troy · W 31–14; offense 59.6 percentile2025 Week 1: James Madison at Oregon · L 34–51; offense 69.2 percentile2026 Week 1: James Madison vs. Liberty · W 20–13; offense 42.7 percentile2026 Week 2: James Madison vs. Wagner · W 87–3; offense 84.5 percentile2022 offense season mean: 66.7 percentile2023 offense season mean: 52.7 percentile2024 offense season mean: 44.7 percentile2025 offense season mean: 70.4 percentile2026 offense Bayesian estimate: 69.6 percentile2026 offense empirical mean: 66.2 percentiledefenseGame-grade percentile · higher is better9975502512022 Week 1: James Madison vs. Middle Tennessee · W 44–7; defense 99.4 percentile2022 Week 2: James Madison vs. Norfolk State · W 63–7; defense 75.6 percentile2022 Week 4: James Madison at App State · W 32–28; defense 90.7 percentile2022 Week 5: James Madison vs. Texas State · W 40–13; defense 94.7 percentile2022 Week 6: James Madison at Arkansas State · W 42–20; defense 59.5 percentile2022 Week 7: James Madison at Georgia Southern · L 38–45; defense 60.7 percentile2022 Week 10: James Madison at Louisville · L 10–34; defense 25.7 percentile2022 Week 11: James Madison at Old Dominion · W 37–3; defense 85.5 percentile2022 Week 12: James Madison vs. Georgia State · W 42–40; defense 79.7 percentile2022 Week 13: James Madison vs. Coastal Carolina · W 47–7; defense 97.2 percentile2023 Week 1: James Madison vs. Bucknell · W 38–3; defense 87.2 percentile2023 Week 2: James Madison at Virginia · W 36–35; defense 32.5 percentile2023 Week 3: James Madison at Troy · W 16–14; defense 95.8 percentile2023 Week 4: James Madison at Utah State · W 45–38; defense 46.9 percentile2023 Week 5: James Madison vs. South Alabama · W 31–23; defense 95.7 percentile2023 Week 7: James Madison vs. Georgia Southern · W 41–13; defense 82.6 percentile2023 Week 9: James Madison vs. Old Dominion · W 30–27; defense 68.4 percentile2023 Week 10: James Madison at Georgia State · W 42–14; defense 96.2 percentile2023 Week 11: James Madison vs. UConn · W 44–6; defense 74.7 percentile2023 Week 12: James Madison vs. App State · L 23–26; defense 86.7 percentile2023 Week 13: James Madison at Coastal Carolina · W 56–14; defense 79.3 percentile2023 Week 1: James Madison vs. Air Force · L 21–31; defense 41.5 percentile2024 Week 1: James Madison at Charlotte · W 30–7; defense 94.8 percentile2024 Week 2: James Madison vs. Gardner-Webb · W 13–6; defense 57.4 percentile2024 Week 4: James Madison at North Carolina · W 70–50; defense 16.0 percentile2024 Week 5: James Madison vs. Ball State · W 63–7; defense 75.1 percentile2024 Week 6: James Madison at UL Monroe · L 19–21; defense 67.3 percentile2024 Week 7: James Madison vs. Coastal Carolina · W 39–7; defense 99.0 percentile2024 Week 8: James Madison at Georgia Southern · L 14–28; defense 33.6 percentile2024 Week 9: James Madison vs. Southern Miss · W 32–15; defense 44.0 percentile2024 Week 11: James Madison vs. Georgia State · W 38–7; defense 95.3 percentile2024 Week 12: James Madison at Old Dominion · W 35–32; defense 75.3 percentile2024 Week 13: James Madison at App State · L 20–34; defense 63.3 percentile2024 Week 1: James Madison vs. Western Kentucky · W 27–17; defense 86.6 percentile2025 Week 1: James Madison vs. Weber State · W 45–10; defense 67.2 percentile2025 Week 2: James Madison at Louisville · L 14–28; defense 84.3 percentile2025 Week 4: James Madison at Liberty · W 31–13; defense 90.3 percentile2025 Week 5: James Madison vs. Georgia Southern · W 35–10; defense 98.3 percentile2025 Week 6: James Madison at Georgia State · W 14–7; defense 89.2 percentile2025 Week 7: James Madison vs. Louisiana · W 24–14; defense 92.1 percentile2025 Week 8: James Madison vs. Old Dominion · W 63–27; defense 86.2 percentile2025 Week 10: James Madison at Texas State · W 52–20; defense 90.5 percentile2025 Week 11: James Madison at Marshall · W 35–23; defense 69.5 percentile2025 Week 12: James Madison vs. App State · W 58–10; defense 99.5 percentile2025 Week 13: James Madison vs. Washington State · W 24–20; defense 62.1 percentile2025 Week 14: James Madison at Coastal Carolina · W 59–10; defense 98.1 percentile2025 Week 15: James Madison vs. Troy · W 31–14; defense 94.6 percentile2025 Week 1: James Madison at Oregon · L 34–51; defense 8.0 percentile2026 Week 1: James Madison vs. Liberty · W 20–13; defense 76.8 percentile2026 Week 2: James Madison vs. Wagner · W 87–3; defense 60.9 percentile2022 defense season mean: 83.7 percentile2023 defense season mean: 78.9 percentile2024 defense season mean: 73.4 percentile2025 defense season mean: 86.7 percentile2026 defense Bayesian estimate: 83.9 percentile2026 defense empirical mean: 69.3 percentile2014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Individual gameSeason bar · 2026 is the estimate2026 empirical meanCoaching-era band
2023Curt Cignetti / Damian Wroblewski
2024Bob Chesney
2026Billy Napier

How to read 2026

The current-season estimate intelligently blends last season with new data.

The 2026 estimate is a Bayesian weighted average of normal-score Z-values. The 2025 season mean counts like 8 games of prior evidence; each completed 2026 game counts once. The result is then translated back to the 0–100 percentile scale.

2026 Z = (8 × 2025 mean Z + games played × 2026 mean Z) ÷ (8 + games played)

Season record

Every annual grade and coach

Retrospective rows average the available single-game grades in normal-score space. The result is shown as a percentile. Roughly speaking, a 95th-percentile season corresponds to about the eighth-best team in a 160-team field.

SeasonHead coachGamesOffenseDefense
2026Live estimateBilly NapierCoaching change2
69.6 estimate66.2 games-only average
83.9 estimate69.3 games-only average
2025Bob Chesney1470.486.7
2024Bob ChesneyCoaching change1244.773.4
2023Curt Cignetti / Damian WroblewskiCoaching change1252.778.9
2022Curt Cignetti1066.783.7