Let’s be honest. If you follow Conference USA or just keep an eye on the Group of Five, you probably thought Liberty was going to be a permanent juggernaut under Jamey Chadwell. After all, that 13-0 run in 2023 was the stuff of legends. One minute they’re steamrolling through their first year in the league, and the next, they’re staring down Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. It felt like the "Mountain" in Lynchburg was officially a peak no one else could climb.
But then 2025 happened.
A lot of people are scratching their heads today, looking at a 4-8 record and wondering how the highest-paid coach in the G5—a guy making roughly $4 million a year—went from an unblemished season to a four-game losing streak to end the year. It’s a wild swing. One day you're the toast of college football, and the next, fans are debating how "hot" your seat actually is on message boards like A Sea of Red.
The Health Scare Nobody Expected
Before we talk about the X’s and O’s or the recruiting trail, we have to talk about the person. In January 2026, Liberty Athletics dropped a bit of a bombshell. It turns out, liberty university football coach Jamey Chadwell had been dealing with a "serious but treatable" medical condition since late summer 2025.
Think about that for a second.
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While the team was struggling through those tight losses to Jacksonville State and Bowling Green, the guy at the helm was fighting a private battle. It sort of puts those late-game play-calling decisions into a different perspective, doesn't it? The school hasn't shared every detail—and they shouldn't have to—but they did confirm he’s on the mend and expected to lead the Flames through spring practice.
Why the 2025 Season Felt Like a Fever Dream
If you just look at the scores, 2025 looks like a disaster. Losing to Kennesaw State 48-42 on Thanksgiving weekend? That’s a tough pill to swallow for a program that expects to be in the New Year’s Six conversation every single December.
But look closer at the roster and the execution. The offense actually put up yards. E. Dickens was a monster on the ground, putting up massive numbers like that 267-yard performance against Kennesaw. The "Spread Option" that Chadwell is famous for—the one he perfected at Coastal Carolina with those funky triple-option looks out of the shotgun—still works.
The problem? Turnovers and a defense that seemed to lose its identity.
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- The Quarterback Carousel: It’s hard to win when you're alternating between guys like Vasko and Merdinger, trying to find the magic that Malik Willis or Kaidon Salter once provided.
- The Defensive Shift: Losing key staff or just having a "down" year in the secondary led to some massive shootouts that Liberty simply shouldn't have been in.
- The G5 Target: When you’re the biggest fish in the pond with the biggest budget, everyone circles your date on the calendar.
Is the Seat Actually Warm?
Basically, people are divided. You've got one camp saying, "Hey, the guy went 13-1 and made a New Year's Six bowl. He earned a decade of credit." Then you've got the other camp pointing at that $5.8 million total compensation package (including bonuses) and saying, "For this much money, we shouldn't be losing to FIU."
Honestly, both things can be true.
The liberty university football coach is currently the highest-paid leader in the Group of Five for a reason. Liberty isn't just a "football school" anymore; it’s an athletic corporation. They want results. But firing a coach after one bad season—especially one where he was dealing with a major health issue—would be a PR nightmare and, frankly, bad business.
The Weird Genius of the Chadwell Offense
If you’ve never sat down to watch a Chadwell-coached team, you’re missing out on some of the most creative "illegal-looking" football in the country. It’s a blend of old-school Wishbone logic and modern Spread speed. He uses:
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- Multiple Personnel Groups: You’ll see 11, 12, and 20 personnel shifting around like a shell game.
- The "Triple" from the Gun: It's not your grandpa’s Army-Navy offense. It's fast, it's vertical, and it exploits every inch of the field.
- The RPO Game: He forces linebackers to make a choice, and they're usually wrong.
When it's humming, it's a beauty. When it's not—like during parts of the 2025 season—it can look a bit disjointed. Chadwell himself admitted in some of his post-game pressers that they struggled with "execution" and that sometimes the play-calling got a bit "timid" when things weren't going their way.
What's Next for the Flames?
The 2026 season is going to be the ultimate litmus test. The schedule is out, and the pressure is higher than ever. With a new Defensive Coordinator (Quinn) in the building and the transfer portal spinning like a top, Chadwell has to prove that 2025 was a fluke, not the new normal.
If you’re a fan or just a bettor looking at the landscape, keep an eye on the early-season momentum. If Liberty can stomp through their non-conference slate and regain that "Mountain" swagger, the 4-8 season will be a footnote. If they stumble early? The noise in Lynchburg is going to get very, very loud.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the Portal: Liberty has the NIL resources to outspend almost anyone in C-USA. Look for them to bring in a veteran "plug-and-play" quarterback to stabilize the room.
- Health is Wealth: Pay attention to Chadwell's energy during spring ball. A healthy, fired-up Chadwell is one of the best tacticians in the country.
- Defense Wins C-USA: The offense will score points—that’s a given with this system. The real story will be whether the new defensive schemes can stop the bleeding in the fourth quarter.
The era of Jamey Chadwell as the liberty university football coach is at a crossroads. It’s a mix of massive potential and sudden vulnerability. Whether he becomes a Liberty legend or a "what if" story depends entirely on how they bounce back from the toughest year in recent memory.