Jarrod James enters his third season as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans in 2024. He arrived in Houston with seven years of coaching experience, previously serving as the assistant offensive line coach at Michigan State in 2021.
This past season, James contributed to a revamped Texans offense that finished ranked second in the NFL in pass plays over 25 yards through the 2023 regular season (41). TE Dalton Schultz recorded 59 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns. Schultz became the third Texan to score a touchdown in three consecutive games, joining Owen Daniels (2011, 2012) and Joel Dreesen (2011). In Week 9 against Tampa Bay, he caught 10 passes for a career-high 130 yards and a touchdown, becoming the second tight end in franchise history to record at least eight receptions and 100-plus receiving yards in a game, joining Owen Daniels (11/2/08 at Minnesota). In the AFC Wild Card round against Cleveland, Schultz hauled in a 37-yard touchdown reception, marking the longest of his career. James was also instrumental in the growth of FB Andrew Beck, who finished the season with 11 receptions for 55 yards and a career-high two touchdowns, while also tallying his first career rushing score. In Week 3 at Jacksonville, Beck returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, becoming the first fullback to record a kick return touchdown since 2005. As a team, Houston finished ranked 12th in total offense and had the fewest giveaways of any offense in the NFL.
In 2022, James helped coach an offensive line that blocked for breakout rookie RB Dameon Pierce, who finished the season ranked third all-time among Texans rookie rushers in rushing yards, while also recording the third-best single-game rookie rushing performance with 139 yards in Week 9 against the Eagles. T Laremy Tunsil earned his third Pro Bowl selection, finishing the season with the top pass blocking grade (91.7) among all NFL linemen, according to Pro Football Focus, and allowed just 1.0 sack.
While coaching for Michigan State during the 2021 season, James helped mentor an offensive line that blocked for unanimous first-team All-American RB Kenneth Walker III, who was awarded Walter Camp National Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award after ranking second in the FBS with 1,636 rushing yards (136.3 yards per game). The Spartan offense averaged 31.8 points per game, which ranked third in the Big Ten Conference, after averaging only 18.0 points per game in the previous season. OL J.D. Duplain received second-team All-Big Ten honors (coaches, media), while C Matt Allen (coaches, media), OL AJ Arcuri (media), OL Blake Bueter (media), OL Jarrett Horst (coaches, media) and OL Kevin Jarvis (coaches, media) were all named honorable mention All-Big Ten.
With James as their tight ends coach in 2020, the XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats ranked second in the league in scoring offense (25.8 points per game), passing offense (250.0 yards per game) and yards per play (5.3). James arrived in Los Angeles after five seasons coaching in the collegiate ranks, including stops at Arkansas State (2018) and at his alma mater, North Carolina (2014-17).
James gained his first NFL coaching experience as a Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship intern for the Kansas City Chiefs (2017-18), Minnesota Vikings (2018) and Houston Texans (2022). He also served as a scouting intern for the Vikings in the summer of 2016.
James received his bachelor's degree in 2015 from North Carolina, where he double majored in exercise & sport science and communications and minored in Spanish. He later earned a master's degree from the school in sport administration in 2018. He played center for the Tar Heels from 2011-13 before serving as an undergraduate student assistant coach during the 2014-15 seasons.
A native of Goldsboro, N.C., James lives in the Houston area. Outside of football, James has also worked in public policy, serving as a legislative research assistant for the North Carolina General Assembly from April 2019 to February 2020. Name is pronounced juh-ROD.
Pro Bowl Players Coached (2): T Laremy Tunsil (2022, 23), QB C.J. Stroud (2023)
All-Pro Players Coached (1): T Laremy Tunsil (2022)
