| National Champions | Conference Champions * | Division Champions ^ | Postseason Appearance/Bowl Berth |
| Season | Head coach | Conference affiliation | Season results | Playoff or bowl result | Final ranking | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference finish | W-L-T record | Conference record | ||||||||
| Madison Dukes | ||||||||||
| 1972 | Challace McMillin | Unaffiliated | 0-4-1 | |||||||
| 1973 | 4-5 | |||||||||
| 1974 | Virginia Collegiate Athletic Association (VCAA) | 5th | 6-4 | 3-2 | ||||||
| 1975 | 1st | 9-0-1 | 5-0 | |||||||
| 1976 | DII Independent | 7-4 | ||||||||
| James Madison Dukes | ||||||||||
| 1977 | Challace McMillin | DIII Independent | 5-5 | |||||||
| 1978 | 8-2 | |||||||||
| 1979 | 4-6 | |||||||||
| James Madison moved to Division I-AA (1979-2005); Division I FCS (2006-2021) | ||||||||||
| 1980 | Challace McMillin | DI-AA Independent | 4-6 | |||||||
| 1981 | 3-8 | |||||||||
| 1982 | 8-3 | |||||||||
| 1983 | 3-8 | |||||||||
| 1984 | 6-5 | |||||||||
| 1985 | Joe Purzycki | 5-6 | ||||||||
| 1986 | 5-5-1 | |||||||||
| 1987 | 9-3 | Lost NCAA FCS First Round |
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| 1988 | 5-6 | |||||||||
| 1989 | 5-4-1 | |||||||||
| 1990 | 5-6 | |||||||||
| 1991 | Rip Scherer | 9-4 | Lost NCAA FCS Quarterfinals |
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| 1992 | 4-7 | |||||||||
| 1993 | Yankee | 3rd (Mid-Atlantic) | 6-5 | 4-4 | ||||||
| 1994 | 1st (Mid-Atlantic) | 10-3 | 6-2 | Lost NCAA FCS Quarterfinals |
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| 1995 | Alex Wood | 2nd (Mid-Atlantic) | 8-4 | 6-2 | Lost NCAA FCS First Round |
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| 1996 | 4th (Mid-Atlantic) | 7-4 | 5-3 |
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| 1997 | Atlantic 10 (A-10) | 6th (Mid-Atlantic) | 5-6 | 3-5 | ||||||
| 1998 | 6th (Mid-Atlantic) | 3-8 | 2-6 | |||||||
| 1999 | Mickey Matthews | T-1st | 8-4 | 7-1 | Lost NCAA FCS First Round |
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| 2000 | 4th | 6-5 | 4-4 | |||||||
| 2001 | 11th | 2-9 | 0-9 | |||||||
| 2002 | 9th | 5-7 | 3-6 | |||||||
| 2003 | 7th | 6-6 | 4-5 | |||||||
| 2004 | T-1st | 13-2 | 7-1 | Won NCAA Division I Championship |
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| 2005 | 2nd (South) | 7-4 | 5-3 |
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| 2006 | 1st (South) | 9-3 | 7-1 | Lost NCAA FCS First Round |
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| 2007 | Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) | 2nd (South) | 8-4 | 6-2 | Lost NCAA FCS First Round |
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| 2008 | 1st | 12-2 | 8-0 | Lost NCAA FCS Semifinals |
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| 2009 | 5th (South) | 6-5 | 4-4 | |||||||
| 2010 | 8th | 6-5 | 3-5 | |||||||
| 2011 | 6th | 8-5 | 5-3 | Lost NCAA FCS Second Round |
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| 2012 | 6th | 7-4 | 5-3 | |||||||
| 2013 | 8th | 6-6 | 3-5 | |||||||
| 2014 | Everett Withers | 3rd | 9-4 | 6-2 | Lost NCAA FCS First Round |
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| 2015 | T-1st | 9-3 | 6-2 | Lost NCAA FCS Second Round |
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| 2016 | Mike Houston | 1st | 14-1 | 8-0 | Won NCAA Division I Championship |
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| 2017 | 1st | 14-1 | 8-0 | Lost NCAA FCS Championship |
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| 2018 | 2nd | 9-4 | 6-2 | Lost NCAA FCS Second Round |
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| 2019 | Curt Cignetti | 1st | 14-2 | 8-0 | Lost NCAA FCS Championship |
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| 2020 | 1st (South) | 7-1 | 3-0 | Lost NCAA FCS Semifinals |
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| 2021 | T-1st | 12-2 | 7-1 | Lost NCAA FCS Semifinals |
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| James Madison moved to Division I FBS (2022-present) | ||||||||||
| 2022 | Curt Cignetti | Sun Belt | T-1st (East) | 8-3 | 6-2 | Ineligible | ||||
| 2023 | 1st (East) | 11-2 | 7-1 | Lost Armed Forces Bowl | ||||||
| 2024 | Bob Chesney | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |||||