In early January, Liberty announced that head football coach Jamey Chadwell was recovering after a successful surgical procedure. The statement read:
Late last summer, Liberty University head football coach Jamey Chadwell was diagnosed with a serious but treatable medical condition. At the time, a medical plan developed by doctors determined the best course was to have the treatment done after the season. Earlier this week, we are grateful to report that he underwent a successful surgical procedure to address the condition. Following his recovery and prior to the start of spring practice, Coach Chadwell will resume his regular duties in leading the Flames Football program. Coach Chadwell and his family appreciate Flames Nation’s prayers, support, and well wishes during the remainder of his recovery.
“I had surgery in January,” Chadwell said. “It was a significant surgery. Something that I found out about before the season. Our doctors decided to do the surgery after (the season). I’ve been in recovery since January. I’ve been back at work here now probably, I guess, going on almost a month. I was out about three weeks, almost four weeks from surgery.”
Entering his fourth season as the head coach of the Flames, Chadwell says he’s still on the road to recovery.
“Recovery is going well,” he said. “Still got some recovery to do as far as continue to improve and recover from the surgery because it was significant, but I’ve made some really good progress. I do appreciate everybody that has reached out and said they’ve been praying for my recovery. It does mean a lot to me and my family because (what) we did go through there in January it was significant, surgery wise and the recovery has been challenging for us and our family and really our football staff and team, but we’re heading in a really good direction. God’s been good through it. Thankful to have the opportunity to be back here and be back on the field.”
As Liberty begins spring practice and prepare in earnest for the upcoming 2026 football season, Coach Chadwell is hoping to improve off a 4-8 season. He says his health battles, which the team was unaware of during the 2025 campaign, affected him and his ability to stay focused on the football team and season.
“I did not do a good job last year,” said Chadwell. “That’s not going to happen anymore. As far as I allowed what I was going through to hurt the team. They didn’t know what was going on, but it affected me personally. I know that’s not going to happen going forward.”
The Flames struggled through its first losing season in 20 years while Chadwell was struggling internally with his health. Understandably, he admits he had a difficult time separating the two and focusing on his job.
“After getting diagnosed, I just didn’t do a good enough job of putting that aside,” Chadwell explained. “Not to say I wasn’t focused for the team, I was focused for the team, but I wasn’t myself at practices. I wasn’t energetic. Players can sense that. I need to get back to being who I am from an energetic style, energy, being locked in completely, and solely focused on what it takes to help our team. That’s an area that I know last year, for sure, but I’ve had issues trying to figure out what was wrong with me for a while. That’s been something I’ve been battling for a little while.”
Going through this over the past several months, it has allowed Chadwell to focus on what matters the most to him and why he got into coaching in the first place – to impact young people.
“When you go through something serious and significant, sometimes you forget why you got into (this profession) because there’s so much pressure you put on yourself, there’s so much pressure outside,” Chadwell said. “You forget why did you really start coaching, what was the importance of it. At the end of the day, it was to impact young people. I know going through the challenges that my family and I have went through the last couple of months, I’m thankful to get to do what I get to do. I’m thankful to get to do it here and being around the people here that care for you as a person. I’m grateful for that.”
Chadwell wants to carry that mentality of being grateful forward and sharing it with his team this season.
“My word this year is grateful,” he continued. “I’m grateful that I get another opportunity to blow a whistle. I get an opportunity to run out of the tunnel and do something that I love, and have a chance to impact kids.”
