Jason James enters his second full season as head coach of the Mississippi Valley State University women's basketball program in 2026-27, having led the Delta Devils to back-to-back opening-round victories in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament. James was named head coach on April 28, 2025, after taking over the program on an interim basis on December 13, 2024.
Under James' leadership, Mississippi Valley State defeated Florida A&M in the opening round of the 2025 SWAC Tournament before returning to earn a 63-49 victory over Prairie View A&M in the opening round of the 2026 tournament. The consecutive postseason victories marked the program's first wins in back-to-back SWAC Tournaments since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
James made an immediate impact during the 2024-25 campaign, guiding MVSU to six conference victories, more than the program recorded in the previous two seasons combined. Mississippi Valley State earned its first SWAC Tournament berth since 2018-19 and secured its first tournament victory since 2013. That season also included a sweep of rival Alcorn State and a regular-season finale victory over Jackson State.
James joined Mississippi Valley State in the summer of 2022 after serving as both the women's and men's basketball head coach at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina. His tenure at Allen included four seasons leading the women's program and three seasons directing the men's team.
During his time with the Lady Yellow Jackets, James guided the program to its first Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) conference championship and earned 2015-16 A.I.I. Coach of the Year honors. Allen finished 19-12 in 2014-15 after winning nine games the previous season.
When Allen joined the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2016-17, James led the Lady Yellow Jackets to a 13-18 overall record and a 9-14 conference mark. The program produced 10 All-Academic selections and two All-AAC performers, with Kamya Thomas earning first-team recognition and Dekoya Mack receiving second-team honors. In 2017-18, James guided Allen to its first 20-win season and an appearance in the AAC semifinals.
Following the 2017-18 season, James was appointed head coach of Allen's men's basketball program. In his first season, the Yellow Jackets defeated five nationally ranked top-25 opponents and returned to the AAC Tournament. Allen improved from eighth to third in the conference standings during its final two seasons in the NAIA.
James also helped guide Allen through its transition to NCAA Division II and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). During a schedule shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yellow Jackets finished 6-6 and earned a victory over nationally ranked Augusta University. His work also earned him recognition from the Black Coaches Association as one of the top minority coaches in the NAIA.
Before his time at Allen, James developed his coaching foundation at Benedict College. He began as a student assistant under women's basketball head coach Cedric Baker in 2001, helping the Lady Tigers reach the NAIA Championship Tournament in Jackson, Tennessee, for the first postseason appearance in program history.
In 2002, James joined Benedict's men's basketball staff as an assistant coach under Fred Watson as the program transitioned from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. His recruiting efforts helped the Tigers capture their first SIAC championship in 2004 with a victory over defending champion Morehouse.
During James' tenure, Benedict added three more conference tournament championships, five regular-season titles and eight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, including a trip to the regional championship round in 2008.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, James graduated from Winton Woods High School and earned a bachelor's degree in communications with a concentration in media arts from Benedict College in 2004. He also served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 1997 to 2004.
James resides in Itta Bena, Mississippi, and has three children: Caleb, Jason II and Ja'Iona.
With more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience, James continues to build toward his goal of bringing a SWAC championship back to the Delta.
