Years in Coaching: 10
Years at USF: 1st
Alma Mater: Middle Tennessee, ‘12
Notable:
• Part of Tennessee coaching staff that guided the SEC’s leading rushing offense (204.8 ypg) in 2023.
• Helped Utah State to the best season in school history with an 11-3 record and first-ever Moutain West Conference championship in 2021.
• His offensive line helped USU to six school records in 2021.
• Part of UCF staff that went 12-1 and won an AAC championship.
• Won conference championships with Utah State (2021), UCF (2018) and Arkansas State (2015)
Experience as a Player:
• Selected first-team all-Sun Belt at center after helping Middle Tennessee to an 8-4 regular season record.
Bowl Experience Coach/Staff
2023 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl - Tennessee
2022 First Responders Bowl – Utah State
2021 LA Bowl – Utah State
2018 Fiesta Bowl - UCF
2015 New Orleans Bowl - Arkansas State
2014 GoDaddy Bowl - Arkansas State
James was named USF running backs coach in February of 2024, joining head coach Alex Golesh’s second USF staff.
An All-Sun Belt Conference center at Middle Tennessee, James comes to USF after two seasons as an offensive line coach at Utah State and last season working as an offensive analyst at Tennessee. In his 10 seasons as a collegiate coach, James has been a part of three conference championship teams and six bowl games.
James has also served in stints at UMass (2019-20), UCF (2018), Maryland (2017), Faulkner University (2016) and Arkansas State (2014-15).
James was part of head coach Josh Heupel’s staff at Tennessee (2023) that helped orchestrate the SEC-leading and No. 9-ranked rushing offense (204.8 ypg) in the nation in 2023 led by Jaylen Wright’s 1,013 yards. The Vols ran for 2,878 yards (5.4 ypc) on the year, part of 5,825 total yards (No. 19 nationally) on the season.
At Utah State (2021-22), James helped the Aggies to their best season in school history in 2021 as they tied the school record with 11 wins (11-3), won their first-ever Mountain West Championship with a 46-13 road win at No. 19 San Diego State, posted a 24-13 win against Oregon State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl to finish the season ranked 24th in the nation in both polls.
Behind James' offensive line, Utah State’s offense set six school records during the 2021 campaign, including 41 touchdown passes, 4,248 passing yards and three receivers with 10-plus touchdown receptions. USU’s offense also tied a pair of school records with 13 100-yard receiving games and five passing touchdowns in a single game.
The Aggies produced over 600 yards of total offense twice, and over 400 passing yards three times on the year, all of which ranked among the top-16 performances in school history.
Utah State finished the 2021 season ranked 15th in the nation in passing offense (303.4 ypg), 23rd in total offense (445.6 ypg), and 33rd in scoring offense (32.6 ppg). USU was also the only team in the nation with at least 10 touchdown receptions by three players.
Under James two offensive linemen earned honorable mention all-MW honors as senior Alfred Edwards and junior Quazzel White were recognized.
James came to Utah State after spending two years as the co-offensive line coach at Massachusetts (2019-20). In 2020, UMass had two offensive linemen garner accolades in Larnel Colemen and Dalton Tomlison. Coleman earned a spot on the Outland Trophy Watch List, given annually to the top interior lineman in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and garnered Phil Steele Magazine All-Independent honors, while Tomlison was selected to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, which annually honors the top center in FBS. Furthermore, Coleman was invited to participate in the 2021 College Gridiron Showcase.
During James’ first season at UMass, the offensive line unit cut down on their sacks allowed by 69.2 percent, despite replacing four starters from the year prior and suffering numerous injuries that led to nine different players starting.
James served as an offensive graduate assistant at UCF (2018) and Maryland (2017).
At UCF, James helped the Knights to a No. 11 national ranking and a 12-1 record as they swept their eight-game American Athletic Conference schedule, won the AAC Championship game and earned a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. At season’s end, four Knight’s offensive linemen earned all-AAC honors, including three landing on the first team.
During his one season with the Terrapins, James worked on the offensive side of the ball and assisted in the development of receiver D.J. Moore. With James’ help, Moore earned first-team all-Big Ten honors and ranked ninth in the country in receptions per game (6.7).
As the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at Faulkner University (2016), James helped the Eagles to a 6-4 record and coached B.J. Turner to all-Mid-South Conference West Division second-team honors.
James began his coaching career at Arkansas State (2014-15), spending two seasons under Blake Anderson and helping the Red Wolves to a 16-10 record during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, including a 13-3 conference mark, back-to-back bowl games and a 2015 Sun Belt Conference Championship.
James arrived at A-State after completing an all-Sun Belt Conference playing career at Middle Tennessee in 2012, which was followed by an invitation to participate in the Atlanta Falcons’ and Dallas Cowboys’ NFL rookie mini-camps in 2013.
During his senior season at Middle Tennessee, James was voted one of five permanent team captains and selected first-team all-Sun Belt after helping the Blue Raiders to an 8-4 regular season record.
The 2012 campaign saw James start all 12 games at center, and he was third among linemen with 844 total snaps. He was part of a line that ranked second nationally in fewest sacks allowed and paved the way for three different 100-yard rushers. He collected 78 knockdowns, including a season-high 10 against both Memphis and Western Kentucky.
James earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies with an emphasis in criminal justice and coaching from Middle Tennessee in 2012. He achieved his associate’s degree in 2010 from Georgia Military.
James transferred to Middle Tennessee in 2011 after playing at Georgia Military as a freshman and sophomore in 2009 and 2010. His sophomore season saw him start all nine games on a team that went 6-3.
A native of Hoschton, Georgia, James earned first-team all-region and all-county honors while playing at Mill Creek High School. He participated in the 2009 Gwinnett County All-Star Game and also lettered in track.
James Year-by-Year
Year(s) Team Position
2024- USF Running Backs Coach
2023 Tennessee Offensive analyst
2021-22 Utah State Offensive Line Coach
2019-20 Massachusetts Co-Offensive Line
2018 UCF Offensive Graduate Assistant
2017 Maryland Offensive Graduate Assistant
2016 Faulkner University Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line
2014-15 Arkansas State Offensive Graduate Assistant
