Getting to Know Potential future SEC head coach, Jamey Chadwell

Jamey Chadwell is a name that has been circulating amongst a lot of SEC fans and media surrounding head coaching rumors. While there may be even more openings to come, Chadwell’s name is one of a few that has been at the forefront of speculation, and it’s for good reason.

Could Jamey Chadwell become a SEC head coach in the future?

Chadwell has been a head coach for six years now at the FBS level at two different schools. He was at Coastal Carolina from 2017 through 2022, and left the school this past season to take the job at Liberty University where he has the Flames at 11-0 continuing on what current Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was building at the school before taking the Auburn job this past season.

Before the FBS level, Chadwell had stops at North Greenville, Delta State and Charleston Southern. Each time, Chadwell has inherited a program that needed a turnaround and took a year or two to do it in North Greenville at the division two level, and Coastal Carolina at the FBS level. In each of these stops, Chadwell had improved each school to 11 win seasons in his third year.

At all of his stops at each level, with the exception of Delta State where he was only there for one season, Chadwell has had at least one 10-win season at each school.

At the FBS level, Chadwell has a winning percentage of 69% between his five year stint at Coastal Carolina, and year so far at Liberty University. It’s worth noting as well that at all of his stops at each level excluding Delta State, in year three and onward, Chadwell has a 79% win percentage with a combined record of 88-23. This shows that if Chadwell stays put, builds a program like he wants, the team and its fan base will reap the rewards.

The only current SEC head coaches to have above a 79% win percentage are Kirby Smart and Nick Saban. That’s some pretty strong company if you’re considering hiring Chadwell. The question is will he stay? Although the programs were smaller and typically coaches use them as stepping stones to get the more prestigious jobs and higher paying contracts, the question is always looming for a coach whose longest tenure has been five years at Coastal Carolina. And if he jumps ship after this season from Liberty University, that would make the second school in Chadwell’s 15 year head coaching career where he’s jumped ship after one season, with Delta State being the other.

Given the fact that it would be an SEC head coaching job, one would think that Chadwell would have the resources and fan support to stay put, as well as the time he needs to turn around a program given his impressive track record. Time will tell, but look for Chadwell to possibly be amongst the great coaches in the SEC very soon.