Dave Plungas - Football Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Dave Plungas

Title:
Linebackers
Phone:
540-568-6517
Physical Address:
Plecker APC 224 (220 Champions Dr.) / MSC 2201

Dave Plungas is in his second season with the James Madison football program in 2026, as he serves as assistant head coach and coaches the stars (outside linebackers).

In his first season in Harrisonburg, he led the linebackers, helping the Dukes to top-20 rankings in nine team categories, which included fifth in total defense (266.6) and 13th in scoring defense (18.4).

JMU was also fourth in fewest first downs allowed (14.6), fifth against the run (85.1), sixth on third down (29.4%), 10^th in both defensive touchdowns (3) and in pass efficiency defense (109.1 rating), 18th in pick-sixes (2) and 19th against the pass (181.6). JMU led the Sun Belt in seven of those categories. JMU held five teams to 10 points or less and 10 teams to fewer than 300 total yards.

Plungas coached Trent Hendrick to Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors and First Team All-Sun Belt status after the senior linebacker captained the JMU defense with 106 tackles with 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks in his 14 starts. He additionally became Plungas’ first FBS All-American, as he garnered Fourth Team laurels from the Phil Steele All-American Team.

The year was capped off with a Sun Belt Football Championship and the program’s first berth in the College Football Playoff.

He brought in a decade of coaching experience to Harrisonburg, which included spending seven seasons as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Robert Morris (2018-24).

During the 2024 season, RMU’s defense led the Northeast Conference and ranked 17th in the FCS in scoring defense, at 20.1 points per game. The Colonials, who set a program record with six home wins, were also top 20 in five other areas, which included 10th in defensive touchdowns (3), 12th in tackles for loss (7.2), 15th in pass efficiency defense (117.49), 17th in sacks (7.2) and 18th in first-down defense (199).

He mentored RMU defenders to a combined 20 All-NEC selections during his tenure, including 2020-21 FCS All-American Jamar Shegog. He also coached Tavin Harville to an NFL contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 and Aniello Bizzacco to an NEC-best and RMU-record 131 tackles in 2019.

His RMU defenses also finished fourth on fourth down and 23rd in passing defense in 2023 and ninth in pass efficiency defense and 15th in passing defense in 2019.

Prior to RMU, Plungas spent three seasons coaching at his alma mater, Albany (2015-17), where he was outside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. He also coached the defensive line during his first two seasons. He helped mentored a total of eight All-Colonial Athletic Association defenders in his three seasons, including two-time member and 2017 First Team defensive lineman Malachi Hoskins.

Albany’s 2017 defense ranked as one of the best in the CAA, finishing fourth in scoring defense (17.7) and second in total defense (282.2). The 2016 squad was second in the conference in scoring defense (18.8) and led the CAA in turnover margin, at +16.

He began his collegiate coaching career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2013-14), where he served as safeties coach in 2013 and linebackers and co-special teams coordinator in 2014. Plungas coached a pair of linebackers to All-Liberty League status in Brandon Cook (2013) and Colby Tragni (2014). In addition to his defensive duties, Plungas developed and led the weekly punt team game plan.

Plungas graduated from Albany with a bachelor’s degree in communications marketing. With the Great Danes, the former linebacker was a three-year starter who was a 2012 team captain and helped lead his team to Northeast Conference titles in 2008, 2011 and 2012, reaching the FCS playoffs in 2011.

He is married to the former Traci Vandegrift, who was a standout volleyball player at Albany and was a coach at UA, Colgate and West Virginia. They have two daughters, Viola and Isla. His wife is an assistant coach the JMU volleyball program.