James Rowe joined the App State football staff as the cornerbacks coach in January 2020.
 
Rowe spent the previous three seasons on staff with the NFL’s Washington Redskins as assistant defensive backs coach and, in his first season at App State, was one of 56 candidates nationally for the Broyles Award that honors college football’s top assistant coaches.
 
The Mountaineers led the nation in passes defended (74, counting 15 interceptions) and lowest completion percentage allowed (48.0) in 2020. Starting cornerbacks Shemar Jean-Charles and Shaun Jolly formed the nation's No. 1 FBS cornerback duo, according to PFF College, with both receiving All-America recognition from Phil Steele, and Steven Jones also excelled at cornerback.
 
Jean-Charles led the nation with 16 PBUs and 17 passes defended, while Jolly broke up six passes and Jones’ two interceptions were a 34-yard return for a touchdown against Troy and a 63-yard return against North Texas in the bowl win.
  
In 2019, Washington cornerback Quinton Dunbar was among the NFL’s top interception artists, while in 2018 Rowe helped oversee a defensive backs group that was one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers. The Redskins finished the season with 15 interceptions, which was tied for the ninth-best mark in the league. Cornerbacks Josh Norman and Fabian Moreau and safety DJ Swearinger each had three forced fumbles and were all tied for the second-most forced fumbles caused by a defensive back that season. In his first year in Washington in 2017, Rowe helped the DBs unit produce the team’s strongest season against the pass in nearly a decade, ranking third in the NFL in completion percentage allowed (57.6 percent), ninth in passing yards allowed per game (213.8) and 10th in opponent passer rating (81.0).
 
Rowe served as defensive coordinator at Division II powerhouse Valdosta State in 2016, helping the Blazers to an 8-3 record. Among D-II schools, his defense led the nation with 27 interceptions and ranked fifth in the country in opposing passing efficiency, limiting opposing quarterbacks to a 96.2 passer rating. Under Rowe’s guidance, Valdosta State safety Kenny Moore earned first-team All-America honors from the AFCA.
 
In 2015, Rowe spent one season as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Florida. That season, the Florida defense ranked No. 8 in scoring defense, No. 6 in total defense and No. 11 in pass defense, while Rowe assisted in the development of All-America defensive backs Vernon Hargreaves, Marcus Maye and Teez Tabor and first-round NFL draft pick Keanu Neal.
 
From 2012-14, Rowe served in a variety of coaching capacities at Jacksonville University. He began his tenure assisting with the team’s defensive backs in 2012, adding the wide receivers to his purview in 2013 and eventually being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014.
 
Rowe began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bethel (Tenn.) University in 2011, helping the Wildcats finish the year ranked No. 14 in the NAIA poll.
 
Rowe, a native of Cocoa, Fla., was a student-athlete at South Florida, lettering three times as a member of the Bulls’ baseball team. After majoring in business administration, he earned his degree from the university in 2009.

He married his wife, Tiffany, in July 2019.

ROWE AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
2011: Bethel (Tenn.) University (Graduate Assistant)
2012: Jacksonville (Defensive Backs)
2013: Jacksonville (Wide Receivers)
2014: Jacksonville (Defensive Coordinator)
2015: Florida (Graduate Assistant)
2016: Valdosta State (Defensive Coordinator)
2017-19: Washington Redskins (Assistant Defensive Backs)
2020: App State (Cornerbacks)

Playing Experience
2005-07: South Florida (Baseball)

Alma Mater: South Florida, 2009
Hometown: Cocoa, Fla.
Birthdate: Feb. 11, 1986 
Wife: Tiffany
Twitter: @CoachJamesRowe