Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1996
HIGH/COLLEGE SCHOOL CAREER: A 1950 graduate of Massillon’s Washington High School where he earned five varsity letters in baseball, football , and track…Earned a pair of varsity letters as a quarterback at the University of Miami, Florida…KSU CAREER: Served as Head Football Coach from 1971-1974…Led the Golden Flashes to their only Mid-American Conference Championship and a Tangerine Bowl berth in 1972…Guided Kent to its highest victory total (9-2) and a second best record in school history in 1973…Posted the third highest victory total and second best record winning percentage (25-19-1 / .567) in Kent football coaching history…Seventeen golden Flashes earned first-team All-MAC recognition during James’ tenure, with 44 players overall receiving All-MAC accolades in that span…Named MAC Coach of the Year and Ohio Coach of the Year in 1972…Coach of the North/South Shrine Game in 1973 and the Ohio Shrine Game in 1973 & 1974…POST KSU CAREER: Was named the head coach at the University of Washington…Named PAC-8 Coach of the Year in 1975…Led the Huskies to a PAC-8 Championship in 1977 and was named American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach of the Year…Took the Huskies to six Rose Bowls and four PAC-10 Championships…Coached Washington to the 1991 Coaches Poll and CNN/USA Today National Championship…Inducted into the Florida Citrus Bowl Hall of Fame (1987), University of Miami Hall of Fame (1992), Rose Bowl Hall of Fame (1994), University of Washington Hall of Fame (1994)…Winningest coach in PAC-10 history…PERSONAL: Earned his B.Ed from the University of Miami in 1954 and his M.Ed from the University of Kansas in 1957…Served in the U.S. Army for two years…Is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa…Served as the President of the AFCA in 1989…Prior to coaching at Kent he served as an assistant coach at Florida State University, the University of Michigan, the University of Colorado, and freshman coach at the University of Kansas…Wife Carol…They have three children; Jeff, Jeni, and Jill (Woodruff) – who was inducted into the Varsity “K” Hall of Fame in 1995.
