CONWAY, S.C. — Coastal Carolina University football coach Jamey Chadwell has accepted a position at Liberty University in Virginia, according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
As expected, Chadwell waited until after the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game to make his final decision. The Chanticleers lost at Troy 45-26 to drop to 9-3, while Troy improves to 11-2.
Chadwell and Liberty have reportedly agreed to a seven-year deal of more than $4 million per year.
A former head coach at Delta State, North Greenville, Chadwell was a two-time FCS National Coach of the Year finalist and a three-time Big South Coach of the Year during his tenure at Charleston Southern from 2013-16.
He was named the third head coach in CCU’s history in January of 2019 and led the Chanticleers to a historical season in 2020, in which the Chanticleers won the Sun Belt Conference Championship, made their first-ever FBS postseason bowl appearance, and was ranked in both the 2020 Associated Press Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Top 25 polls, Chadwell was named the 2020 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, the 2020 Associated Press Coach of the Year, the Home Depot College Football Coach of the Year, the 2020 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, the Sporting News’ 2020 Coach of the Year, the 2020 CBS Sports/247Sports Coach of the Year, and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Group of 5 2020 Conference Coach of the Year. He was also the winner of the 2020 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award and was chosen by fans as The Premier Coach of College Football by Premier Players, Inc.
Chadwell was named the 2020 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, the 2020 Werner Ladder AFCA FBS Region 2 Coach of the Year, and honored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) with the 2020 Grant Teaff Coach of the Year Award. He was also a finalist for both the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the Lombardi Honors 2020 Coach of the Year Award.
In the 2021 season, Chadwell led the Chanticleers to their first ever bowl victory, a 47-41 win over Northern Illinois in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl in Orlando. Coincidentally, Coastal lost to Liberty in that same bowl game in 2020, the only blemish in an 11-1 season. The Chanticleers ended the season ranked 14th both the Associated Press and the Coaches Top 25.
Chadwell has a career record of 99-57 and will leave Conway having led the Chanticleers to three consecutive bowl games.
The Liberty job became open when Hugh Freeze departed for Auburn. The Flames are currently competing as an independent but will move to Conference USA for all sports starting in the 2023-2024 season.
Next season, Chadwell will return to Conway when Liberty faces Coastal Carolina on Sept. 9.