James is a Greensboro, North Carolina native who was first introduced to wrestling in Junior High. James excelled as a wrestler at Grimsley High School, placing fourth in the state at 108 lbs. in 1973 and winning a state title at 115 lbs. in 1974. James considered joining the Marines after high school but instead accepted a scholarship to wrestle for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. While at North Carolina A&T, James boasted a 78-8 record and led his team to Mideastern Athletic Conference Championships in 1975 and 1976. James became the first North Carolina A&T wrestler to win four M.E.A.C championships, was team captain for two years, and the Most Valuable Wrestler in 1975, 1977, and 1978. In 1977, James finished second in the Eastern Regional, narrowly missing qualifying for a spot in the NCAA Division I tournament. In 1978, James received the Philadelphia Chapter Alumni Association Trophy as North Carolina A&T’s Most Outstanding Athlete. Excelling in the classroom, James made the Dean’s list and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Health and Physical Education in 1978. In 1996, James was inducted into the North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Fame. After college, James began teaching in the Danville Public School System. While commuting from Greensboro to Danville, James coached at Grimsley High School from 1981 until 1997. From 1997 until retiring from teaching in 2018, James coached at George Washington High School in Danville. Retirement brought James to Reidsville High School where he's served as head coach since 2019. Through 45 seasons of coaching, James boasts a career dual meet record of 369-260-2. At Grimsley he coached 18 state placers, four state champions, and three All-Americans. At George Washington, James coached 34 district champions, 26 regional placers, 15 state qualifiers, and three state placers. In just four seasons at Reidsville, James’ teams have won two regional championships (2020, 2021) and he’s coached 23 state qualifiers, 14 regional champs, 17 state placers, two state champions, and three high school All-Americans. In 2021, James was inducted into the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame. James currently lives in Greensboro and is a deacon at the Grace Temple Church of God in Christ.