Colorado State University Athletics
Football
Finley, James
James Finley
- Title:
- Assistant Coach -- Tight Ends
- Email:
- ramfootball@colostate.edu
James Finley joined Jay Norvell's initial staff in January 2022 and coaches wide receivers and is the recruiting coordinator. Finley coached tight ends for the first three seasons at Colorado State before starting his current position in January 2025. Finley was hired to coach running back, but shifted to tight ends following the hire of Timmy Chang to Hawai'i.
Finley came to Colorado State after spending four seasons as the wide receivers coach at Mater Dei, a southern California high school football powerhouse, where he helped win two national championships. Former Ram George Miki-Han and former CSU punter Ryan Stonehouse both attended the school. Finley was an All-Pac 10 Honorable Selection over two years playing at Oregon (2005-06).
Prior to his career at Oregon, Finley was ranked among the nation’s top 10 junior college wide receivers following the 2004 season by SuperPrep as well as 32nd in the country among JC prospects encompassing all positions. College Football News tabbed him nationally as the sixth-best junior college receiver and 15th-best overall recruit. He ranked seventh in California in receptions per game as a sophomore (6.4 avg.) and 11th in yards per game (100.8 avg.), hauling in seven touchdowns to go along with his 64 catches and 1,008 receiving yards.
During his prep career, he completed his senior year with 83 receptions for more than 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns to become one of three wide receivers to be named to the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Best-in-the-West contingent as well as the Tacoma News Tribune’s Western One-Hundred. His 131 receptions for 2,477 yards and 28 TDs during his final two prep campaigns did not include his six catches for 122 yards and two scores in the post-season California-Florida high school all-star game.
Personal Information
Hometown:Â Inglewood, Calif.
Family: Wife – Monique / Children – Keri, Jae, Mhina, James III
Education:Â Oregon, 2007 (Bachelor's)
Birthday:Â March 21
Finley Experience
2022-Present: Colorado State (Tight Ends, 2022-24; Wide Receivers / Recruiting Coordinator, 2025)
2018-21: Mater Dei (Calif.) HS (Wide Receivers)
2015-17: Narbonne (Calif.) HS (Defensive Backs, 2015; Wide Receivers, 2016-17)
Playing Career (Wide Receiver)
College: Compton CC (2003-04); Oregon (2005-06)
Finley came to Colorado State after spending four seasons as the wide receivers coach at Mater Dei, a southern California high school football powerhouse, where he helped win two national championships. Former Ram George Miki-Han and former CSU punter Ryan Stonehouse both attended the school. Finley was an All-Pac 10 Honorable Selection over two years playing at Oregon (2005-06).
Prior to his career at Oregon, Finley was ranked among the nation’s top 10 junior college wide receivers following the 2004 season by SuperPrep as well as 32nd in the country among JC prospects encompassing all positions. College Football News tabbed him nationally as the sixth-best junior college receiver and 15th-best overall recruit. He ranked seventh in California in receptions per game as a sophomore (6.4 avg.) and 11th in yards per game (100.8 avg.), hauling in seven touchdowns to go along with his 64 catches and 1,008 receiving yards.
During his prep career, he completed his senior year with 83 receptions for more than 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns to become one of three wide receivers to be named to the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Best-in-the-West contingent as well as the Tacoma News Tribune’s Western One-Hundred. His 131 receptions for 2,477 yards and 28 TDs during his final two prep campaigns did not include his six catches for 122 yards and two scores in the post-season California-Florida high school all-star game.
Personal Information
Hometown:Â Inglewood, Calif.
Family: Wife – Monique / Children – Keri, Jae, Mhina, James III
Education:Â Oregon, 2007 (Bachelor's)
Birthday:Â March 21
Finley Experience
2022-Present: Colorado State (Tight Ends, 2022-24; Wide Receivers / Recruiting Coordinator, 2025)
2018-21: Mater Dei (Calif.) HS (Wide Receivers)
2015-17: Narbonne (Calif.) HS (Defensive Backs, 2015; Wide Receivers, 2016-17)
Playing Career (Wide Receiver)
College: Compton CC (2003-04); Oregon (2005-06)
Colorado State Football: Ellis (L) and Rogers (R) Postgame (Northern Colorado, 2025)
Saturday, September 06
Colorado State Football: Avant (L) and Fowler-Nicolosi (R) Postgame (Northern Colorado, 2025)
Saturday, September 06
Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference - Week 2 (2025)
Monday, September 01
Colorado State Football: Long (L) and Warren (R) Postgame (Washington, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
