James Thompson begins his first season at Tuskegee as the running backs coach, after a year in quality control and a year as the running backs coach at Alabama State.
While with the Hornets, Thompson coached three-time All-SWAC and two-time All-America performer Ezra Gray, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in his career.
Prior to his stop at Alabama State, Thompson coached in the high school ranks, spanning 13 years. He spent six of those seasons as a head coach at the school level, including three at Pickens County (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) where he won two region titles and went to back-to-back state championships in 2016 and 2017. The last three seasons he spent as the head coach at G.W. Carver (Montgomery) posting one of the most successful stints in school history including an 8-0 start in his first season and a city championship in 2020.
He posted a 50-22 record overall as a head coach, including a 26-9 region record.
Thompson earned his Bachelor of Science and master’s degree in Kinesiology from Alabama State in 2006, where he was a student-athlete from 2003-2006, helping the team win the SWAC championship during his career. He was also a member of the athletic academic team two times (2004 and 2005).
