In his first season as the head coach at Liberty, Jamey Chadwell and his coaching staff led the Flames to a historic 13-1 season and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
Now, the Flames have their sights set on running the table and getting into the first edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff. To do so, they’ll have to win CUSA and most likely finish 2024 undefeated.
So, who makes up the Liberty coaching staff?
Liberty Flames Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Jamey Chadwell
In his first year at the helm, Chadwell propelled Liberty University’s football program to new heights, reinforcing its reputation as one of the nation’s fastest-growing FBS teams.
Chadwell, who was hired on Dec. 4, 2022, became the program’s 10th head coach. He was tasked with leading the Flames through their inaugural season in Conference USA.
Chadwell’s impact was immediate. Under his leadership, Liberty entered the 2023 bowl season with a perfect 13-0 record, one of only four undefeated teams in the nation.
The Flames dominated Conference USA, finishing the regular season with an 8-0 record and capping off their conference campaign with a 49-35 victory over New Mexico State in the CUSA Football Championship game.
This remarkable success earned Liberty its first-ever invitation to a New Year’s Six bowl game, where the Flames faced off against No. 8 Oregon in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Before arriving at Liberty, Chadwell had built a strong coaching résumé with nearly 100 career wins across various programs. He was head coach at North Greenville, Delta State, Charleston Southern, and Coastal Carolina.
His tenure at Coastal Carolina was particularly noteworthy, where he guided the program’s rapid ascent in the FBS and the Sun Belt Conference, laying the groundwork for the success he would bring to Liberty.
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach, Willy Korn
Willy Korn enters his second season helping guide the Flames’ offense.
He joined Liberty after spending six seasons with Coastal Carolina. In 2019, Korn was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, where he played a pivotal role in Coastal Carolina’s transformation.
Under his leadership, the team improved from a 5-7 record in 2019 to an impressive 31-7 over the next three seasons, including standout seasons of 11-1 in 2020, 11-2 in 2021, and 9-4 in 2022.
His success at Coastal Carolina was preceded by a tenure at Charleston Southern, where he worked under Chadwell for four seasons. At Charleston Southern, Korn served as the wide receivers coach and spent his final three seasons as the Buccaneers’ recruiting coordinator.
Korn’s expertise in crafting high-powered offenses and track record of success makes him a significant member of Liberty’s coaching staff as the Flames aim to build on their recent accomplishments.
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach, Newland Isaac
Like Korn, Newland Isaac made his way to Liberty after a tenure at Coastal Carolina. He is also in his second year at Liberty.
Isaac, who was honored by the American Football Coaches Association as the 2021 AFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year, has emerged as a prominent figure in college football coaching.
In Feb. 2019, he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina, where he also took charge of the running backs. Isaac’s long-standing partnership with Chadwell spans eight seasons across multiple programs, including Charleston Southern, Delta State, and North Greenville, before they reunited at Coastal Carolina.
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During Isaac’s tenure, Coastal Carolina’s offense thrived under his guidance. The team led the nation in average yards per rush and third-down conversion percentage.
In recognition of his coaching potential and accomplishments, Isaac was selected to participate in the 2018 NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy, a program designed to help college football coaches and former NFL athletes enhance their coaching skills and knowledge.
With a proven track record and a deep connection to Chadwell, Isaac is a crucial part of Liberty’s coaching staff.
Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach, Tony Washington
Tony Washington rejoined Chadwell’s coaching staff in 2023 after spending the 2022 season with the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown, W.Va. Washington previously contributed to Coastal Carolina’s remarkable success during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, where the team posted a stellar 22-3 record under Chadwell’s leadership.
Washington’s football career began at Appalachian State, where he excelled from 2009-13. He earned multiple All-Southern Conference honors in 2012 and 2013 and was selected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
After his collegiate success, Washington transitioned to the NFL as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2014. He spent most of his professional career with the Jacksonville Jaguars before joining the New England Patriots in 2017.
With his extensive playing and coaching experience, Washington’s return to Chadwell’s staff brings valuable expertise and a proven track record to the program.
Offensive Line Coach, Bill Durkin
Bill Durkin brings over 20 years of coaching experience to Liberty in his second season.
Durkin’s extensive coaching background includes significant tenures at Coastal Carolina, Bowling Green, Hofstra, Richmond, and his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts.
Durkin began his coaching career as a strength and conditioning coach at UMass, where he had previously been a standout player. As a four-year letterman, Durkin was a two-year team captain and earned first-team all-conference honors in 1992 and 1993. In 1993, he was named a consensus first-team All-American and later recognized on the Yankee Conference 50th Anniversary Team.
After his college career, Durkin played professionally with the New England Patriots and the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe.
Tight Ends Coach, Cody Ladutko
Cody Ladutko, a longtime student of Chadwell’s offensive system, will continue his work with tight ends at Liberty. Ladutko has been closely involved with Chadwell’s coaching staff for the past five years and was promoted to tight ends coach in 2022 after serving in various roles at Coastal Carolina from 2018 to 2021.
His roles included offensive analyst, offensive graduate assistant, and offensive quality control. During this time, he worked extensively under Liberty’s co-offensive coordinator, Korn, mainly focusing on tight ends during the 2020-21 seasons.
Ladutko began coaching at Davidson College as the wide receivers coach from 2014 to ’17.
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach, Skylor Magee
Skylor Magee begins his second season at Liberty with a deep history of working alongside Chadwell, having served under him at four previous programs.
Magee most recently spent four seasons at Coastal Carolina, where he held the same position he now has with the Flames. His collaboration with Chadwell extends to earlier tenures at Charleston Southern, Delta State, and North Greenville.
Magee’s extensive experience working with Chadwell brings a strong sense of continuity to Liberty’s coaching staff as they continue their successful partnership.
Safeties Coach, Aaron Fierbaugh
Aaron Fierbaugh, who joined the program in Jan. 2023, is entering his second season with Liberty. His journey to Liberty is marked by a strong background in defensive coaching roles.
Before coming to Liberty, Fierbaugh served as the inside linebackers coach at Coastal Carolina in 2022 after working as a defensive analyst for the Chanticleers in 2021.
Before his time at Coastal, he spent five years at the University of South Carolina as a defensive quality control assistant from 2016-21. His coaching career began at Auburn, where he worked as a student assistant from 2013-16.
Fierbaugh’s diverse experience across these programs has equipped him with a solid foundation as he continues contributing to Liberty’s defensive coaching staff.
Linebackers Coach, Josh Linam
Josh Linam brings extensive coaching experience to Liberty in his second year as the linebackers coach.
Before joining Liberty, Linam began the 2023 spring season as a defensive analyst at Auburn. His previous experience includes two seasons as a defensive analyst at Temple.
Linam’s coaching journey also includes a season as a defensive graduate assistant at Florida in 2016, where he helped the Gators achieve a 9-4 record, including a 6-2 mark in the SEC; the season culminated with a dominant 30-3 victory over Iowa in the Outback Bowl.
Before his time at Florida, Linam served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, UCF, in 2015 and as the linebackers coach at Division III Huntingdon College in 2014.
Cornerbacks Coach, Dino Waites
Dino Waites joined Liberty in 2023 after a successful stint as the safeties coach at VMI during the 2022 season. Before his time in Lexington, Va., Waites served as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Albany State in Georgia.
Waites began coaching at his alma mater, Carson-Newman, where he spent eight years on the staff from 2013 to 2020. Initially coaching the wide receivers, he soon transitioned to the defensive side, where he guided the Eagles’ secondary for seven seasons.
While at Carson-Newman, he also took on the role of special teams coordinator.
In recognition of his exceptional work, Waites was honored as the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013 for his contributions as Carson-Newman’s defensive backs and special teams coach.
Co-Defensive Coordinator/ Special Teams Coordinator, Kyle Krantz
Kyle Krantz brings a wealth of Power Five coaching experience into his second season at Liberty, having spent 12 seasons at five different SEC programs.
Most recently, Krantz worked as a special teams analyst at Missouri before joining Liberty.
Before that, he spent five seasons at South Carolina, where he became the special teams coordinator during the 2020 season. Krantz’s extensive background in the SEC equips him with valuable insights and expertise as he joins Liberty’s coaching staff.
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