Completed Event: Track & Field at Penn State National Open on January 30, 2026 , , Completed
T-F
Final
James Madison
at Penn State National Open
Completed
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Staff Directory
Brandon Bailey
- Title:
- Safeties
- Phone:
- 540-568-6517
Brandon Bailey is in his first season with the James Madison football program in 2026, as he serves as the safeties coach.
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Bailey brings in a decade of coaching experience to JMU, which includes spending the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator at fellow Sun Belt school Georgia Southern (2023-25). In his three seasons coaching at his alma mater, Bailey coached the linebackers in 2023 while leading the safeties and nickels for 2024 and 2025.
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He coached four defensive players to All-Sun Belt honors in each season in Statesboro, highlighted by a 2024 season that saw linebacker Marques Watson-Trent win Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.
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In his first season at GS, he led a defense that saw a marked improvement across the board both nationally and in the Sun Belt. The defense finished top 30 nationally in interceptions, defensive touchdowns and tackles for loss. Following the year, Watson-Trent was named a Phil Steele All-American. In 2024, the Eagles ranked first in the Sun Belt in red zone defense and fourth down defense in conference games.
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Prior to Georgia Southern, Bailey was defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Buffalo in 2022, helping improve the Bulls defense in nearly every statistical category from the year prior. The youngest FBS coordinator in 2022, he coached Marcus Fuqua to All-America status after he led the nation in interceptions, with seven. UB was second nationally in fumble recoveries (15) and tied for the MAC lead in interceptions (13). The team’s 28 total takeaways ranked seventh in the FBS. The Bulls went 7-6 and won the Camellia Bowl.
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Before the move north, Bailey spent three seasons at Texas A&M (2019-21), where he was a senior defensive assistant in 2021 and a graduate assistant in both 2019 and 2020. The Aggies finished 25-10 in his three seasons in College Station, winning the 2019 Texas Bowl and 2020 Orange Bowl.
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The 2020 season saw TAMU finish fourth in the final polls with a 9-1 record, as the Aggies captured the 87th Orange Bowl with a 41-27 win over North Carolina. Texas A&M ranked #1 in total defense in the SEC that season.
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In 2021, Texas A&M had a key victory against #1 Alabama and finished the year third nationally in scoring defense. Following Mike Elko’s departure for the head coaching job at Duke, Bailey was activated to the safeties and nickels coach.
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Bailey also had stops at Arkansas-Monticello (2018), Richmond Hills High School in Georgia (2017), Tulane (2017) and Georgia Southern as a student assistant (2013-16).
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He coached defensive backs in his lone season at UAM and was promoted to defensive coordinator before departing for Texas A&M. Prior to serving as defensive coordinator at Richmond Hills, he was a graduate assistant at Tulane.
Bailey graduated Cum Laude from Georgia Southern in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education.
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He is married to the former C.C. Rohrer, and they have a daughter, Brighton Carolyn.
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Bailey Coaching File
2023-25: Georgia Southern (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers/Safeties/Nickels)
2022: Buffalo (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2021: Texas A&M (Senior Defensive Assistant)
2019-20: Texas A&M (Graduate Assistant/Safeties)
2018: Arkansas-Monticello (Defensive Backs)
2017: Richmond Hill High School in Georgia (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2016: Tulane (Graduate Assistant/Linebackers)
2013-16: Georgia Southern (Student Assistant Coach with Linebackers and Safeties)
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Bailey brings in a decade of coaching experience to JMU, which includes spending the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator at fellow Sun Belt school Georgia Southern (2023-25). In his three seasons coaching at his alma mater, Bailey coached the linebackers in 2023 while leading the safeties and nickels for 2024 and 2025.
Â
He coached four defensive players to All-Sun Belt honors in each season in Statesboro, highlighted by a 2024 season that saw linebacker Marques Watson-Trent win Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.
Â
In his first season at GS, he led a defense that saw a marked improvement across the board both nationally and in the Sun Belt. The defense finished top 30 nationally in interceptions, defensive touchdowns and tackles for loss. Following the year, Watson-Trent was named a Phil Steele All-American. In 2024, the Eagles ranked first in the Sun Belt in red zone defense and fourth down defense in conference games.
Â
Prior to Georgia Southern, Bailey was defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Buffalo in 2022, helping improve the Bulls defense in nearly every statistical category from the year prior. The youngest FBS coordinator in 2022, he coached Marcus Fuqua to All-America status after he led the nation in interceptions, with seven. UB was second nationally in fumble recoveries (15) and tied for the MAC lead in interceptions (13). The team’s 28 total takeaways ranked seventh in the FBS. The Bulls went 7-6 and won the Camellia Bowl.
Â
Before the move north, Bailey spent three seasons at Texas A&M (2019-21), where he was a senior defensive assistant in 2021 and a graduate assistant in both 2019 and 2020. The Aggies finished 25-10 in his three seasons in College Station, winning the 2019 Texas Bowl and 2020 Orange Bowl.
Â
The 2020 season saw TAMU finish fourth in the final polls with a 9-1 record, as the Aggies captured the 87th Orange Bowl with a 41-27 win over North Carolina. Texas A&M ranked #1 in total defense in the SEC that season.
Â
In 2021, Texas A&M had a key victory against #1 Alabama and finished the year third nationally in scoring defense. Following Mike Elko’s departure for the head coaching job at Duke, Bailey was activated to the safeties and nickels coach.
Â
Bailey also had stops at Arkansas-Monticello (2018), Richmond Hills High School in Georgia (2017), Tulane (2017) and Georgia Southern as a student assistant (2013-16).
Â
He coached defensive backs in his lone season at UAM and was promoted to defensive coordinator before departing for Texas A&M. Prior to serving as defensive coordinator at Richmond Hills, he was a graduate assistant at Tulane.
Bailey graduated Cum Laude from Georgia Southern in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education.
Â
He is married to the former C.C. Rohrer, and they have a daughter, Brighton Carolyn.
Â
Bailey Coaching File
2023-25: Georgia Southern (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers/Safeties/Nickels)
2022: Buffalo (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2021: Texas A&M (Senior Defensive Assistant)
2019-20: Texas A&M (Graduate Assistant/Safeties)
2018: Arkansas-Monticello (Defensive Backs)
2017: Richmond Hill High School in Georgia (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2016: Tulane (Graduate Assistant/Linebackers)
2013-16: Georgia Southern (Student Assistant Coach with Linebackers and Safeties)
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