5th Year
Edinboro '14
Ernest James returns for his fifth season as an assistant wrestling coach for the Fighting Scots.
James is no stranger to the Fighting Scot program, enjoying an outstanding career from 2009-14.
He excelled as a heavyweight for Edinboro. He was a three-time NCAA Division I national qualifier who wrapped up his career with a 100-49 record with 37 falls. He won one EWL and one PSAC championship. He ranks eighth in career falls and is in the top 30 in career victories.
After redshirting in 2009-10, James emerged as the starter at heavyweight in 2010-11, posting a 17-16 finish with 8 falls. He would place second at the PSAC Championships and fourth at the EWL Championships.
In 2011-12, James qualified for Nationals for the first time thanks to a second-place finish at the EWL Championships. He ended the year with a 30-14 record with 14 falls. He captured the PSAC title and placed second at EWL's. The 14 falls are tied for 11th in a season.
James picked up his first win at Nationals as a redshirt junior, ending the 2012-13 campaign with a 24-14 ledger and seven falls while earning a trip to Nationals for the second time. He added a third-place finish at the PSAC Championships and was fifth at the EWL Championships.
As a redshirt senior in 2013-14, James ended the year with a 29-7 record with 8 falls. He won his first EWL Championship, then went on to go 2-2 at Nationals. He picked up career win number 100 at Nationals with a 5-3 decision over Bloomsburg's Justin Grant.
James got his coaching career underway in the 2018-19 school year, serving as an assistant coach for the West Virginia Regional Training Center. He previously trained with the Valley Regional Training Center, run out of Fresno State, in 2017-18.
James earned his Bachelor of Science degree in HPE – Human Performance from Edinboro in December 2014. Her served internships with Saint Vincent Hospital in Cardiac Rehab and Corporate Wellness, along with a stint at Eberle's Physical Therapy. He also competed in MMA for a time, posting a 1-1 record.
