List of James Madison University alumni

The following is a list of James Madison University alumni.

Athletics

American football

• Khalid Abdullah, former professional football player
• John Allen, Tennessee Tech wide receiver coach
• D. J. Bryant, former NFL player
• Macey Brooks, former NFL player
• Daniel Brown, former NFL player
• Bryce Carter, professional football player for the Ottawa Redblacks
• Ron'Dell Carter professional football player for the Michigan Panthers
• Mike Caussin, former NFL player
• Mike Cawley, former professional football player
• Gary Clark, former NFL player ^[1]
• John Daka, professional football player
• Corey Davis, professional football player
• Rashard Davis, former NFL player
• John DeFilippo, professional football coach
• Ben DiNucci, former NFL player
• Willie Drew, professional football player for Toronto Argonauts
• DeLane Fitzgerald, head coach Southern Utah
• Dion Foxx, former NFL player ^[2]
• Liam Fornadel, NFL player for New York Jets
• Nelson Garner, former NFL player
• Raven Greene, former NFL player
• Jalen Green, professional football player for Toronto Argonauts
• Charles Haley, former NFL player, Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame inductee. ^[3]
• Derek Hart, former NFL player
• Zach Horton, NFL player for Detroit Lions
• Quintin Hunter, head coach for Emory and Henry
• Ishmael Hyman, former NFL player
• Jay Jones, former NFL player ^[4]
• Akeem Jordan, former NFL player ^[5]
• Delvin Joyce, former NFL player
• Curtis Keaton, former NFL player
• Clint Kent, former professional football player
• Jamree Kromah, NFL player for Chicago Bears
• Rodney Landers, former professional football player
• Vad Lee, former professional football player
• Scott Lemn, head coach for Bridgewater college
• Dean Marlowe, Quality control coach for Oklahoma State football and former football player
• Evan McCollough, former professional football player
• David McLeod, former professional football player and first recipient of AFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
• Douglas McNeil, professional football player
• Arthur Moats, former NFL player ^[6]
• Jimmy Moreland, former NFL player ^[7]
• Dylan Morris, Assistant running backs coach for Alabama
• Scott Norwood, former NFL player and NFL scoring leader (1988) ^[8]
• Ed Perry, former NFL player ^[9]
• Justin Rascati, pass game coordinator for Cincinnati Bengals
• Bryan Stinespring, head football coach for Roanoke College
• Aaron Stinnie, NFL player for New York Giants
• Isaac Ukwu, professional football player for Michigan Panthers
• Earl Watford, former NFL player
• Josh Wells, former NFL player
• Kelly Wiltshire, former professional player

Baseball

• Odicci Alexander, former softball player and Softball America Pitcher of the Year in 2021
• Dana Allison, former MLB player
• Lorenzo Bundy, former MLB player and Manager of the Diablos Rojos del México
• Rich Croushore, former MLB player
• Chase DeLauter, MLB outfielder for the Cleveland Guardians
• Travis Harper, former MLB player
• Kevin Kelly, MLB pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays
• Kellen Kulbacki, former MLB player
• Jake Lowery, former MLB player
• Brian McNichol, former MLB player
• Dan Meyer, former MLB player
• Larry Mitchell, former MLB player
• Kevin Munson, former MLB player
• Ryan Reid, former MLB player
• Nick Robertson, baseball player
• Billy Sample, former MLB player and broadcaster ^[10]
• Rich Thompson, former MLB player
• Mike Venafro, former MLB player ^[11]

Basketball

• Denzel Bowles, former professional basketball player
• Kenny Brooks, head coach of the University of Kentucky women's basketball team
• Dwayne Broyles, former professional basketball player
• Charles Cooke, former NBA player (did not graduate)
• Ron Curry, professional basketball player
• Sherman Dillard, assistant basketball coach at the University of Iowa men's basketball
• Terrence Edwards Jr., professional basketball player
• Steve Hood, former professional basketball player
• Matt Lewis, professional basketball player
• Wes Miller, head coach of University of Cincinnati men's basketball (did not graduate)
• Louis Rowe, assistant coach Cleveland State men's basketball
• Dan Ruland, former professional basketball player
• Kevin Sutton, assistant coach Florida Gulf Coast University men's basketball
• Kyle Swanston, former professional basketball player
• Linton Townes (born 1959), former NBA player
• Tom Vodanovich, professional basketball player
• Kennard Winchester, former NBA player (did not graduate)
• Tamera Young, former WNBA player

Soccer

• Christina Julien, professional ice hockey player for Melbourne Ice and former soccer player, member of 2011 Canadian women's world cup team
• Alan Mayer, former professional soccer player, voted in 1999 the Top JMU Athlete of the Century
• Kurt Morsink, former MLS player
• C. J. Sapong, former MLS player and 2011 MLS Rookie of the Year
• Nick Zimmerman, head coach of Mississippi State women's soccer team and former MLS player

Other

• Jeff Compher, former director of athletics at East Carolina University
• Eric Davis, former rugby player
• Tiombe Hurd, USA Olympic track & field athlete (2004); American record holder in outdoor triple jump ^[12]
• Elliott Sadler, NASCAR driver (did not graduate)
• Olivia Saacke, former rugby enforcer

Academics

• Marcia Angell, Harvard University Medical School faculty member ^[13]
• Carole Baldwin, research zoologist
• Matt Bondurant, author of The Wettest County in the World ; professor at the University of Texas at Dallas
• Kembrew McLeod, faculty member at the University of Iowa
• Marney White, Yale University faculty member

Business

• Jason Harris, president and founder of Mekanism
• Jennifer Morgan, Co-Chief Executive Officer of SAP SE
• John-Paul Lee, founder and CEO of Tavalon Tea
• Kathy J. Warden, CEO of Northrop Grumman

Entertainment

• Sarah Baker, actress ( The Campaign , Mascots )
• Steve Buckhantz, basketball play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards
• Brent Comer, actor
• Tony Deyo, comedian
• Glennon Doyle, author
• Meredith Garretson, actress
• Barbara Hall, TV producer and writer
• Ashley Iaconetti, television personality (The Bachelor)
• Steve James, documentary producer and director
• Mia LaBerge, artist
• Geoff LaTulippe, screenwriter
• Mark Jordan Legan, TV and film writer, NPR correspondent
• Mike Long, professional Magic: The Gathering player for the Pro Tour
• Karen McCullah Lutz, screenwriter
• Nathan Lyon, host of Discovery Health's television series A Lyon in the Kitchen
• Wendy Maybury, stand-up comedian
• PFT Commenter, blogger, podcast personality for Barstool Sports ( Pardon My Take )
• Jon Pineda, author
• Don Rhymer, screenwriter and producer
• John Roberts, former NASCAR on Fox and NASCAR on Speed host ^[14]
• Anne Savedge, photographer, artist
• Tony Schiavone, professional wrestling announcer
• Reshma Shetty, actress ( Royal Pains )
• Patricia Southall, Miss Virginia USA; first runner-up Miss USA
• Chris Sprouse, comic book artist
• Phoef Sutton, film and television writer
• Sara Tomko, actress ( Resident Alien )
• Christina Tosi, owner of Momofuku Milk Bar; MasterChef judge; James Beard Foundation Award winner: Rising Star Chef
• Nina Willner, nonfiction author

Journalism

• Jim Acosta, Senior White House Correspondent for CNN ^[15]
• Cornell Belcher, writer, pollster, and political strategist; regular contributor on NBC News, MSNBC, and NPR
• Julia Campbell, newspaper journalist and reporter for CourtTV
• Lindsay Czarniak, sports anchor and reporter for ESPN SportsCenter ^[16]
• Lawrence Jackson, photojournalist ^[17]
• Alison Parker, television reporter who, along with videographer Adam Ward, was killed during a live interview ^[18] in 2015
• Chuck Taylor, music journalist

Music

• Robert Abisi, DJ (Lost Kings)
• Brian Balmages, composer
• Margaret Becker, Christian rock musician
• The Bigger Lights, alternative rock band
• Ross Copperman, recording artist
• Tony Deyo, marching band drill designer
• Everything, '90s rock band
• Andrew Goldstein, music producer, songwriter
• Joe Hottinger, musician (Halestorm)
• Keith Howland, musician (Chicago)
• Illiterate Light, ^[19] rock band
• Chris Monroe, musician
• Leroi Moore, musician (Dave Matthews Band)
• Soon Hee Newbold, producer, composer, musician ^[20]
• Old Dominion, members Whit Sellers, Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi, country musicians and song-writers
• Nate Smith, drummer, songwriter, producer
• Butch Taylor, musician (Dave Matthews Band)
• Phil Vassar, country music singer
• Andrew York, musician and composer

Politics and government

• Dawn Adams, Virginia State Delegate
• Dickie Bell, former Virginia State Delegate ^[21]
• Melanie Blunt, First Lady of Missouri (2005–2009)
• Chris Collins, former Virginia State Delegate ^[22]
• Kirk Cox, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates
• Sean F. Dalton, member of the New Jersey General Assembly ^[23]
• Emmett Hanger, Virginia State Senator
• Tara Jackson, acting Prince George's County Executive (2024–present)
• James A. "Jay" Leftwich, Jr., Virginia State Delegate
• Ryan McDougle, Virginia State Senator and former Virginia State Delegate
• Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County, VA Board of Supervisors
• Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia ^[24]
• Matt Rinaldi, former Texas State Representative and chairman of the Republican Party of Texas
• Bettina Ring, former Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
• Walter Shaub, former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics and senior director, Campaign Legal Center
• Joseph R. Slights III, Vice-chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery; Judge, Superior Court of Delaware
• Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond, Virginia and former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Scott Surovell, Virginia State Senator
• Matthew Wasniewski, Historian of the United States House of Representatives
• Liza Wright, served George W. Bush as Assistant to President for Presidential Personnel and Director of Presidential Personnel
• Anita Friedt, American diplomat and former U.S. Department of State senior official ^[25]

References

1. "Gary Clark". The-hogs.net. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
2. "Dion Foxx". NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
3. "Charles Haley". Databasefootball.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
4. "Jay Jones - Career Stats". arenafan.com. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
5. "Akeem Raphael Jordan". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
6. "Arthur Moats". NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
7. Kring-Schreifels, Jake. "Jimmy Moreland May Be A 'Pick Machine,' But His Foundation Starts In The Classroom". Redskins.com. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
8. "Scott Allen Norwood". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
9. "ESPN Player Card". Archived from the original on February 10, 2003. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
10. Berman, Mark (June 27, 2006). "Homecoming all in a day's work for Salem native Sample". The Roanoke Times . Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2006.
11. "Mike Venafro Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
12. "Tiombe Hurd bio". tiombehurd.net. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
13. Dr. Marcia Angell at the National Library of Medicine. Accessed July 17, 2007.
14. "John Roberts Bio". Speed TV . Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
15. Taylor, Liz (December 1, 2004). "CBS News' Jim Acosta ('93) joins Dan Rather on the set for blackout story". Montpelier. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
16. "Meet the News Team". WRC-TV . Retrieved July 16, 2007.
17. Ziu, Christina (March 23, 2017). "JMU alumnus photographed Obama presidency". The Breeze. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
18. "Two WDBJ7 employees killed in attack at Bridgewater Plaza | Local News - WDBJ7.com Central and Southwest VA". Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
19. "Illiterate Light and its very specific sound as a band: Massive - The Washington Post". Archived from the original on January 23, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
20. "Soon Hee Newbold". JMU: Be The Change, jmu.edu. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
21. "Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings". virginiageneralassembly.gov.
22. "Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings". virginiageneralassembly.gov.
23. Assemblyman Sean F. Dalton, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 5, 1997. Accessed June 17, 2010.
24. "vpap.org". The Virginia Public Access Project.
25. "Anita E. Friedt". United States Department of State. United States: United States Department of State . Retrieved June 7, 2019.