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Pete ThamelESPN
Liberty is hiring Jamey Chadwell as its new coach, with Chadwell agreeing to a seven-year deal that averages more than $4 million per year, sources told ESPN. An announcement is expected later Sunday morning.
Chadwell has been one of the best coaches in the sport the past three years, going 31-6 at Coastal Carolina. Overall, Chadwell is 39-22 in five years there. He has prior head-coaching experience at Charleston Southern, Delta State and North Greenville.
Coastal Carolina fell to Troy 45-26 in the Sun Belt title game Saturday, Chadwell’s last game as coach of the Chanticleers. Coastal Carolina has targeted NC State offensive coordinator Tim Beck to be its new head coach, sources said.
In 2020, Coastal Carolina started 11-0 — including a high-profile victory over No. 8 BYU — and rose to the top 10 in the Associated Press poll. Chadwell won 11 national coach of the year honors that year, as Coastal became one of the best stories in the sport.
Chadwell’s offense, with a running quarterback as a focal point, has emerged as one of the most innovative in the game.
The Liberty job became open after coach Hugh Freeze left for Auburn. Liberty had just agreed to pay Freeze an average of $5 million per year in a new deal signed prior to his departure.
Liberty is poised to join Conference USA next season, and the Liberty program is considered the one with the most resources in that league. Liberty has been a full-time FBS program for only five years. Freeze went 34-15 in his four years there.