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 Macey Brooks, former NFL player Daniel Brown, former NFL player D. J. Bryant, 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 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 Liam Fornadel, NFL player for New York Jets Dion Foxx, former NFL player Nelson Garner, former NFL player Jalen Green, professional football player for Toronto Argonauts Raven Greene, former NFL player Charles Haley, former NFL player, Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame inductee 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 Akeem Jordan, former NFL player 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 Scotty McGee, 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 Jimmy Moreland, former NFL player Dylan Morris, Assistant running backs coach for Alabama Scott Norwood, former NFL player and NFL scoring leader () Ed Perry, former NFL player 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 Rich Thompson, former MLB player Mike Venafro, former MLB player
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 Elliott Sadler, NASCAR driver (did not graduate)
Academics Marcia Angell, Harvard University Medical School faculty memberDr. Marcia Angell at the National Library of Medicine. Accessed July 17, 2007. 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 John-Paul Lee, founder and CEO of Tavalon Tea Jennifer Morgan, co-chief executive officer of SAP SE Christina Tosi, founder of Milk Bar 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 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 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 Lawrence Jackson, photojournalist Alison Parker, television reporter who, along with videographer Adam Ward, was killed during a live interview 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, rock band Chris Monroe, musician Leroi Moore, musician (Dave Matthews Band) Soon Hee Newbold, producer, composer, musician Old Dominion, members Whit Sellers, Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi, country musicians and songwriters 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 Maggie Ardiente, President of Humanists International Dickie Bell, former Virginia state delegate Melanie Blunt, First Lady of Missouri (2005–2009) Laurie Buckhout, acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy (2025) Chris Collins, former Virginia state delegate Kirk Cox, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Sean F. Dalton, member of the New Jersey General Assembly, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 5, 1997. Accessed June 17, 2010. Anita Friedt, diplomat and former U.S. Department of State senior official 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 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
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