James Madison hiring SEC veteran with deep Alabama, Florida ties for key personnel spot
As the James Madison football program continues its march into college’s top division – Football Bowls Subdivision – the Dukes are making a key move for a pivotal off-the-field role.
JMU and head coach Curt Cignetti are nabbing Andrew Burkett from the University of Florida to serve as the Dukes’ first-ever director of player personnel at the FBS level.
The Dukes are transitioning into their first season after an enduring run of dominance at the Football Championship Subdivision, and Burkett – serving the last eight months as the Gators’ director of research and evaluation for first-year coach Billy Napier – brings with him critical roster-building and evaluative experience.
In fact, Burkett comes to JMU on the heels of four-plus consecutive seasons in various high-value off-the-field roles in Napier’s programs; the first four of those years are from Burkett’s time with Napier at Louisiana, a program just finishing an incredible run under Napier that includes knocking off nationally ranked Iowa State on the road and multiple conference divisions and titles.
Aside from his recent work on Napier’s staffs, Burkett also has a year’s experience at Arizona State in 2017 and three additional seasons prior to that in Nick Saban’s Alabama juggernaut.
