If you’ve spent any time watching the Flames lately, you know things look different in Lynchburg. It’s not just the move to Conference USA or the undefeated regular season runs. It’s the vibe. The Liberty University football staff has undergone a massive identity shift since Jamey Chadwell hopped over from Coastal Carolina, bringing his unique "pro-style option" and a very specific group of lieutenants with him.
Most people just see the head coach on the sidelines in his signature gear. But honestly, the engine room of this program is a mix of long-time Chadwell loyalists and a few key holdovers who understand the unique culture of Liberty Mountain. It’s a weirdly effective blend of "surf turf" mentality and high-pressure FBS expectations.
Let’s be real: coaching transitions are usually messy. Usually, a new guy comes in, fires everyone down to the equipment manager, and starts over. Chadwell didn't do that entirely, but he definitely made sure his inner circle was intact. Understanding who these guys are—and what they actually do when the cameras aren't rolling—is the only way to understand why this team is suddenly a New Year's Six contender.
The Architect and His Inner Circle
Jamey Chadwell is the face, obviously. But the Liberty University football staff is anchored by Newland Isaac and Willy Korn. These two are basically the co-pilots of the offensive machine.
Willy Korn is a name you might remember if you followed college football recruiting a decade and a half ago. He was a legendary high school prospect who went to Clemson. Now, he’s one of the brightest young offensive minds in the country. He’s the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach. When you see Kaidon Salter making a play that looks like backyard football but is actually a perfectly timed read-option, that’s Korn’s influence. He doesn't just call plays; he teaches the geometry of the field.
Then there’s Newland Isaac. He’s been with Chadwell forever. Like, since the North Greenville and Delta State days. He handles the "Co-OC" duties and works with running backs. This partnership is vital. While Korn looks at the passing windows, Isaac is obsessed with the blocking schemes and the "triple option" roots of their offense. It’s a marriage of old-school toughness and modern-day spread concepts.
People think Liberty is just "fast." They aren't. They’re actually incredibly physical. That starts with Isaac. He’s the guy making sure the backs aren't just runners, but blockers and decoys too.
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Defensive Identity: The Skylars and the Scheme
Defensively, things got interesting when Skylor Magee and Josh Aldridge came into the picture. Magee serves as the Co-Defensive Coordinator and handles the defensive line. If you want to know why Liberty’s front four looks so much more aggressive lately, look at Magee. He’s another "Chadwell guy" who followed him from Coastal.
But wait.
There’s also Jason Thompson. He handles the back end. The Liberty University football staff prides itself on being "multiple." That’s coach-speak for "we try to confuse the hell out of the quarterback." They’ll show a blitz, drop eight, and then swap into a man-coverage look right before the snap. It requires a high level of trust between the guys coaching the line and the guys coaching the safeties.
Key Personnel on the 2024-2025 Staff
- Jamey Chadwell: Head Coach (The Big Picture)
- Willy Korn: Co-OC/Quarterbacks (The Playmaker)
- Newland Isaac: Co-OC/Running Backs (The Scheme Guy)
- Skylor Magee: Co-DC/Defensive Line (The Muscle)
- Tony Washington: Wide Receivers (The Speed Expert)
- Bill Durkin: Offensive Line (The Trench Master)
Why the "Coastal Connection" Actually Matters
You might hear critics say Liberty is just "Coastal Carolina North." That's a bit of a lazy take. While several members of the Liberty University football staff came from Conway, South Carolina, they’ve had to adapt. The recruiting footprint in Virginia is totally different. You're competing with Virginia Tech, UVA, and even Maryland for kids in the 757 area code and Northern Virginia.
Tony Washington, the wide receivers coach, is a huge part of this. He played at Appalachian State and has a pro background. He’s the one who has to convince high-level burners that Lynchburg is the place to be. It’s not an easy sell to every kid, but when you show them the production—like what we saw with CJ Daniels before he hit the portal for LSU—the proof is in the pudding.
The staff isn't just about X’s and O’s. It’s about the "Speed Lab." Liberty has invested millions into sports science. This is where the strength and conditioning staff comes in. They use GPS tracking on every player during every practice. If a guy’s "load" is too high on a Tuesday, the coaches pull him back on Wednesday. This data-driven approach is something Chadwell leaned into heavily, and it’s a major reason they stayed relatively healthy during their recent 13-1 campaign.
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The Logistics: More Than Just Coaches
When we talk about the Liberty University football staff, we usually ignore the guys in suits. But you shouldn't.
Kyle DeArmon is the Director of Football Operations. In the modern era of the Transfer Portal and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), the "Ops" guy is basically a General Manager. He’s managing travel, sure, but he’s also the liaison for the collective and the university administration. If the planes don't take off or the hotel food is bad, the team loses focus. DeArmon keeps the rails greased.
Then there’s the recruiting department. It’s a massive operation now. They have "player personnel" experts who do nothing but watch tape of kids in the portal. They aren't coaches. They’re scouts. This segment of the Liberty University football staff is what allows Chadwell to sleep four hours a night instead of three. They filter the thousands of available players down to the ten who actually fit the system.
The Impact of Stability
College football is a carousel. Coaches leave for a 5% raise every Tuesday. However, Chadwell has managed to keep his core together for a surprisingly long time. This continuity is the "secret sauce." When Willy Korn and Newland Isaac are on the same page, the practice tempo is insane. There’s no standing around. There’s no explaining the drills for twenty minutes. The players know the expectations because the coaches have been saying the same thing for five years, even if it was at a different school previously.
What Most Fans Get Wrong About the Coaching Search
Whenever there’s an opening on the Liberty University football staff, message boards go wild with names of former Power Five head coaches. But honestly? That’s rarely who Liberty goes after. They want "system fits."
Chadwell’s offense is so specific—a "spread option" that uses unique terminology—that bringing in an outsider often does more harm than good. They’d rather hire a young, hungry guy from a smaller school who understands the "why" behind the scheme than a big-name veteran who wants to run his own thing.
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Look at Bill Durkin, the offensive line coach. He’s been in the trenches with Chadwell for years. He knows exactly how to coach the "stretch" block that sets up the entire offense. If you bring in a traditional NFL-style line coach, the whole system might collapse because the timing would be off.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're trying to track the future success of this program, don't just look at the recruiting rankings. Look at the coaching box.
- Watch the Co-OC Dynamic: If Willy Korn eventually takes a head coaching job (and he will, he's too good not to), how does Chadwell replace that "young genius" energy? That will be the first real test of the program's longevity.
- Monitor Defensive Hires: The offense is the brand, but the defense is what won the C-USA title. Keep an eye on the "Co-DC" structure. It’s a bit unusual to have two guys sharing the title, but it works for them because it divides the labor between the front seven and the secondary.
- Recruiting Focus: Watch where the new staff members are coming from. If they start hiring guys with deep ties to Florida or Georgia, expect the roster to shift away from its Mid-Atlantic roots.
The Liberty University football staff is currently one of the most cohesive units in the Group of Five. They’ve managed to take a "small school" coaching philosophy and scale it up for the big stage. Whether they can maintain that as bigger programs come sniffing around their assistants is the $10 million question. For now, the "Chadwell Way" is firmly entrenched on the mountain, and it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon.
If you’re following the team this season, pay attention to the sidelines during timeouts. You’ll see a lot of communication between the "Co-Coordinators." It’s not a hierarchy; it’s a hive mind. That’s why they’re winning.
To stay updated on specific staff changes, the best move is to monitor the official university directory or the NCAA transfer portal feeds, as assistant coaches often move during the "winter window" between December and February. Tracking these movements gives you a head start on predicting how the team’s playstyle might evolve in the coming season.