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Group of 5🛡️ Moderate Stability (3/5)

Billy Napier

Head Football Coach James Madison (Dukes)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)
$8,000,000
51 months remaining (1567 days)
Annual Salary
$2,500,000
Base + Supplemental Talent
Contract Expires
2030-12-31
Hired: 2026-01-01
Coach Leaves Buyout
$1,500,000
Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival
Daily Amortization
$5,818
Buyout drops each day
University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $8,000,000

Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $8,000,000. (Returned to Group of 5 head coaching in 2026 at Sun Belt powerhouse James Madison.)

Payment Structure:Annual Installments
Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)
Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$10,725,530
Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $1,500,000

If Billy Napier accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2030-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$1,500,000
School Retention Leverage:Standard College Buyout
Coaching Stance & Contractual Security

Job Stability vs. The Hot Seat

How Our Two-Axis Model Works
0/5 Votes

Pending Fan Consensus

Tension Rating: Stability (3/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

Contract Job Stability is rated Moderate Stability. Awaiting 5 more community vote(s) to officially establish the Hot Seat alignment.

Contract Job Stability
Level 3 / 5
Moderate Stability
Standard Contract Terms$8,000,000 Buyout Firewall

Standard Power Four buyout structure; financially painful but manageable with coordinated athletic department support.

Contract Safeguard: Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $8,000,000. (Returned to Group of 5 head coaching in 2026 at Sun Belt powerhouse James Madison.)
Mitigation Duty: None (fully guaranteed sum)
The Hot Seat (Community Consensus)
Consensus Building
Consensus Building0 / 5 Votes

Hot Seat score requires at least 5 votes to show, only 0 votes cast so far.

5 more votes needed to unlock public heat score. Cast your vote below!

Interactive Amortization Simulator for Billy Napier

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.

JA
Billy NapierUntouchable
James MadisonGroup of 5 • Contract thru 2030-12-31
Annual Salary
$2,500,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$8,000,000
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (1567 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$8,000,000
Official USA Today Verified Buyout
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $5,818 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$1,500,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes James Madison

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)
Important: Billy Napier's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, James Madison is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

USA Today FOIA benchmark: $8,000,000. Contract data reflects proposed terms for Billy Napier at James Madison.

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$1.06M.

Key Contractual Stipulations
  • Multi-year term through December 2030
  • Fixed annual salary structure
  • Significant buyout provision for coach departure
  • Standard performance-based incentives

Contract data reflects proposed terms for Billy Napier at James Madison.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (2):

Contract & Compensation TermsOrlando Sentinel • 2025-10-19
View Source
Contract & Compensation TermsCBS Sports • 2025-10-19
View Source

FOIA Verified: As an arm of state government, James Madison releases employment agreements and board-approved amendments under public records legislation.