Years In Coaching: 20th
Years at USF: 4th
Alma Mater: South Florida, ‘09 – Bachelor’s in business administration
Family: Wife: Tiffany
Hometown: Cocoa, Fla.
NOTABLE:
• Five seasons of experience coaching in the NFL
• Defensive backs coach for 2018, 2019, & 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl
• Played baseball at South Florida (2005-07), as a left-handed pitcher and outfielder
• First-team all-state baseball player & third-team all-state football player at Cocoa High School
James Rowe, a South Florida graduate and former pitcher, returned to USF as the Bulls defensive pass game coordinator/safeties coach in January of 2023. He joined Brian Hartline’s first USF staff in December of 2025 as cornerbacks coach.
A Cocoa, Fla. native, Rowe returned to USF after serving a season as a defensive backs coach with the Chicago Bears (2022) and having previously logged 17 seasons as a football coach, including five in the NFL. Rowe is a 2009 graduate of USF and was a three-time letterman on the Bulls’ baseball team as a pitcher and outfielder.
AT SOUTH FLORIDA: Rowe has been part of three straight bowl game appearances (2023-25), two bowl wins and a 9-4 season in 2025 that marked the Bulls most wins since 2017. The Bulls also returned to the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018 and earned the program’s first College Football Playoff ranking in 2025.
He helped lead defenses that have collected 75 turnovers in the last three seasons–the third most in FBS over that time frame–and ranked among the top 15 in turnovers gained in each of the last three years and in tackles for loss in two of those seasons. Safety Fred Gaskin earned second team all-conference honors in 2025 as the Bulls ranked No. 16 nationally with 14 interceptions.
In his first season at USF, he helped USF produce 12 team and 16 individual records as the Bulls capped the biggest turnaround in program history (a six-win improvement) with a 45-0 rout of Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl. USF finished 12th nationally and second in The American collecting 24 turnovers, including 14 interceptions to rank No. 19 in the FBS statistics. The Bulls four defensive touchdowns on the year ranked No. 8 nationally and USF stood No. 7 posting 7.5 tackles for loss per game as nickel back Daquan Evans led the Bulls with 14 TFL on the year.
BEFORE SOUTH FLORIDA
NFL: Rowe served the 2022 season as a defensive backs coach with the Chicago Bears.
He previously served as cornerbacks coach at Indianapolis Colts (2021) for one season. Rowe assisted with a Colts defense that finished second in the league with 33 takeaways. The team tied for the league high in fumble recoveries (14) and tied for third in interceptions (19). Rowe coached cornerback Kenny Moore II, whom he also coached at Valdosta State in 2016 while serving as the team's defensive coordinator. He helped Moore II become the first Colts cornerback named to the Pro Bowl since Vontae Davis in 2015.
Rowe spent the previous three seasons on staff with the NFL’s Washington Redskins (2017-19) as assistant defensive backs coach. In 2019, Washington cornerback Quinton Dunbar was among the NFL’s top interception artists, while in 2018 Rowe helped oversee a defensive backs group that was one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers. The Redskins finished the season with 15 interceptions, which was tied for the ninth-best mark in the league. Cornerbacks Josh Norman and Fabian Moreau and safety DJ Swearinger each had three forced fumbles and were all tied for the second-most forced fumbles caused by a defensive back that season. In his first year in Washington in 2017, Rowe helped the DBs unit produce the team’s strongest season against the pass in nearly a decade, ranking third in the NFL in completion percentage allowed (57.6 percent), ninth in passing yards allowed per game (213.8) and 10th in opponent passer rating (81.0).
APPALACHIAN STATE: Rowe spent a year at Appalachian State (2020), coaching cornerbacks. He was one of 56 candidates nationally for the Broyles Award that honors college football’s top assistant coaches. The Mountaineers led the nation in passes defended (74, counting 15 interceptions) and lowest completion percentage allowed (48.0) in 2020. Starting cornerbacks Shemar Jean-Charles and Shaun Jolly formed the nation's No. 1 FBS cornerback duo, according to Pro Football Focus College, with both receiving All-America recognition from Phil Steele. Jean-Charles led the nation with 16 PBUs and 17 passes defended, while Jolly broke up six passes and fellow cornerback Steven Jones logged two interceptions – a 34-yard return for a touchdown against Troy and a 63-yard return against North Texas in the bowl win.
VALDOSTA STATE: Rowe served a season as defensive coordinator at Division II powerhouse Valdosta State (2016), helping the Blazers to an 8-3 record. Among Division II schools, his defense led the nation with 27 interceptions and ranked fifth in the country in opposing team’s pass efficiency, limiting opposing quarterbacks to a 96.2 passer rating. Under Rowe’s guidance, Valdosta State safety Kenny Moore earned first-team All-America honors from the AFCA.
FLORIDA: Rowe spent one season as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Florida (2015). The Florida defense ranked No. 8 in scoring defense, No. 6 in total defense and No. 11 in pass defense, while Rowe assisted in the development of All-America defensive backs Vernon Hargreaves, Marcus Maye and Teez Tabor and first-round NFL draft pick Keanu Neal.
EARLY COACHING CAREER: For three seasons Rowe served in a variety of coaching capacities at Jacksonville University (2012-14). He began his tenure assisting with the team’s defensive backs in 2012, adding the wide receivers to his purview in 2013 and eventually being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014.
Rowe began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bethel (Tenn.) University in 2011, helping the Wildcats finish the year ranked No. 14 in the NAIA poll.
A native of Cocoa, Fla., Rowe began his coaching career at his alma mater, Cocoa (Fla.) High School. He was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for four seasons (2007-10).
PLAYING CAREER (South Florida)
As a student-athlete at South Florida, Rowe lettered three times as a member of the Bulls’ baseball team playing for coaches Eddie Cardieri and Lelo Prado. After majoring in business administration, he earned his bachelor’s degree from USF in 2009.
PERSONAL
Rowe married his wife, Tiffany, in July 2019. His brother, David, is a coach at Rutgers University. His father, James Rowe, Jr. played basketball at Florida Tech and coached boys basketball at Cocoa (Fla.) High School for 24 years, winning over 400 games and 2009 boys state championship before retiring in 2018.
COACHING CAREER
2026 South Florid Cornerbacks
2023-25 South Florida Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Safeties Coach
2022 Chicago Bears Defensive Backs Coach
2021 Indianapolis Colts Cornerbacks Coach
2020 Appalachian State Cornerbacks Coach
2017-19 Washington Redskins Assistant Defensive Backs Coach
2016 Valdosta State Defensive Coordinator
2015 Florida Graduate Assistant
2014 Jacksonville Defensive Coordinator
2013 Jacksonville Wide Receivers Coach
2012 Jacksonville Defensive Backs Coach
2011 Bethel University (Tenn.) Graduate Assistant
2007-10 Cocoa High School Offensive Coordinator
