COLUMBIA, S.C. — A 16-year veteran in the Power 5 landscape, James Coley has joined the South Carolina staff as wide receivers coach. Coley receives a two-year contract which will pay him $650,000 in 2024 and $850,000 in 2025.
Most recently, Coley spent four seasons on Jimbo Fisher’s staff at Texas A&M as the tight ends coach and was later promoted to co-offensive coordinator in January 2022.
He worked with the Aggie wide receivers in 2022 and the tight ends in 2023.
Prior to Texas A&M, Coley spent four years at Georgia where he and USC head coach Shane Beamer worked together on Kirby Smart’s first staff in Athens.
Prior to his time with Georgia, Coley served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Miami from 2013-15. He was the offensive coordinator/tight ends coach (2010-12) and tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator (2008-09) at his alma mater, Florida State.
A native of Miami, he served as an offensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins in 2005-06. His coaching resume also included a stop at 2003 national champion LSU where he served as a graduate assistant coach while earning his Master’s degree in 2004. In those stints with the Dolphins and Tigers, Coley worked under Nick Saban before the legendary coach embarked on a 17-year career with Alabama.
Coley’s arrival coincides with the exit of tight ends coach Jody Wright who is now the head football coach at Murray State. Justin Stepp, who has been the wide receivers coach at USC for the past three seasons, will now take over as tight ends coach.
In other news concerning Gamecock football, Sterling Lucas has received a one-year contract extension which will take him through the 2025 season. The Orangeburg native just wrapped up his second season at Carolina where he has served as the defensive ends/outside linebackers coach. Lucas also gets a major bump in his annual salary. After making $410,000 last season, Lucas will make $575.000 in 2024.