James Coley is entering is first season as offensive coordinator at Florida International University. Coley, a Miami native who worked most recently as an offensive assistant and quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins, has coached some of the top talent in football at the high school, college and pro levels. His coaching resume includes stops at 2003 National Champion Louisiana State University and 2002 Florida 6A State Champion Norland High School, in addition to his experiences with the Dolphins.
“James is an extremely intelligent coach who has all the tangibles and intangibles to be a great offensive coordinator,” said FIU head coach Mario Cristobal. “He is a Miami guy who has great recruiting ties. Moreover, he has an innovative mind to take advantage of all the great athletes in our program and help put them in the best position to win.”
Working primarily with Dolphins receivers in the 2006 season, including All-Pro Chris Chambers, Coley was responsible for future opponent breakdown of defenses and self-scouting as the offensive quality control coach. In his first year with the Dolphins, Coley worked with the team's running backs as an offensive assistant, including Ricky Williams and first-round pick Ronnie Brown. The duo combined for 1,650 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns to lead the AFC's seventh-ranked rushing offense.
Coley joined the Dolphins after spending 2003 and 2004 as an offensive graduate assistant at LSU. The Tigers won a share of the 2003 National Championship, were the 2003 Southeastern Conference Champions, and played in the 2004 Citrus Bowl with Coley working behind the scenes. He was responsible for breaking down tape, assisting in game plans and scouting reports, and serving as the signal caller. His focus at LSU was the Tigers' quarterbacks, which included Matt Mauck and JaMarcus Russell.
Prior to coming to LSU, Coley was an assistant coach at Norland High School. In 2002, Coley served as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, as the team finished 13-2 and won the Florida 6A State Championship. While at Norland, Coley coached several players who had standout college seasons in 2006, including Dwayne Bowe (LSU), Kareem Brown (Miami), Alexander Bostic III (FIU) and Antwan Barnes (FIU).
Coley began his coaching career in 1997 as an assistant at Miami Senior High School, coaching the quarterbacks on offenses that produced current NFL players Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) and Roscoe Parrish (Buffalo Bills).
He graduated from Florida State University and his wife, Kenia, reside in Coconut Grove.
Personal Information
Full Name: James R. Coley
Wife: Kenia
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Education: B.A. in English, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida (1997)
M.S. in kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2004)
Coley's Coaching Career
2006: Miami Dolphins (offensive quality control)
2005: Miami Dolphins (offensive assistant)
2003-04: Louisiana State University (offensive graduate assistant)
2000-02: Norland H.S., Miami, Fla. (assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/QBs)
1997-2000: Miami Senior High School, Miami, Fla. (quarterbacks)
Bowl Games as a Coach (2)
2004 Sugar Bowl (LSU)
2004 Capital One Bowl (LSU)
Prominent Players Coached
- Andre Johnons (Miami Senior High School) ? Houston Texans
- Roscoe Parrish (Miami Senior High School) ? Buffalo Bills
