As part of an ongoing series of articles, Seminoles.com Senior Writer Brandon Mellor looks at each member of Florida State's vaunted 2012 recruiting class. Sixth on the list is quarterback Sean Maguire.
As part of an ongoing series of articles, Seminoles.com Senior Writer Brandon Mellor looks at each member of Florida State's vaunted 2012 recruiting class. First on the agenda: tight end Christo Kourtzidis.
• James Coley is in his fourth season at Florida State - second as the offensive coordinator and fourth as tight ends coach. In 2010, the Seminoles ranked among the ACC leaders in total offense, rushing offense and scoring offense. Coley helped direct the Seminoles' offense which was led by 2011 NFL first round selection Christian Ponder (Minnesota Vikings).
• In 2010, FSU was the fourth-best scoring offense in the ACC averaging 31.4 points per games and ranked fourth in rushing offense with 171.4 yards per game. FSU ran for more than 200 yards five times as a team including a 298-yard performance against in-state rival Miami which capped off a string of four consecutive 200-yard rushing games - BYU (278), Wake Forest (201), Virginia (256) and Miami (298). FSU ran for 218 yards in the Chick-fil-A bowl win over SEC East Champion South Carolina. FSU also led the league in third down conversions (47.6 percent).
• Coley's work on the field has been instrumental in bringing the tight end position back to a place of prominence for the Seminoles. Florida State's tight ends combined for more than 200 yards receiving in 2010. In 2009, tight ends Caz Piurowski and Beau Reliford combined for 24 receptions, 283 yards and four TDs. Those totals were tempered by Piurowski's season-ending knee injury at mid-year. The four TDs were the most for the `Noles from the tight end position since 1994.
• As the recruiting coordinator at Florida State in 2008 and 2009, Coley was instrumental in the Seminoles landing back-to-back Top 10 signing classes, which have helped re-stock FSU's talent pool. He was the named the top recruiter in the ACC in 2010 by ESPN.com. Coley's boundless energy on the recruiting trail earned him a huge fan following on his @CoachColey twitter account.
• Coley was the offensive coordinator at Florida International in 2007 and spent six seasons in the Miami high school ranks, including a three-year run as offensive coordinator at Norland, which won a state title. A two-year offensive graduate assistant at LSU, where he worked alongside coordinator Jimbo Fisher, was followed by two seasons on the offensive staff with the Miami Dolphins under Nick Saban.
• Prior to arriving at FSU, Coley spent one season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at FIU. The Miami native completely overhauled the Golden Panthers offense and established new standards for rushing yardage, as the unit doubled its production over the second half of the season.
• In two seasons as an offensive assistant with Saban's Miami Dolphins, Coley had an opportunity to work with running backs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown (`05) when they boasted the NFL's seventh-rated rushing attack. In 2006 he worked with the receivers, Including All-Pro Chris Chambers and Wes Welker, and was responsible for breaking down opposing defenses and self-scouting as the quality control coach.
• Coley's first foray into the college game came as a graduate assistant at LSU on offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher's staff in 2003 and 2004. The Tigers won the 2003 SEC Title and National Championship and played in the 2004 Capital One Bowl.
• Coley initially crossed paths with Fisher while coaching high school football in Miami from 1997-2002. His first job was as the quarterbacks coach at Miami Senior, where he spent three seasons and worked with current NFL standouts Andre Johnson and
Roscoe Parrish.
• He moved to Norland in 2000 as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator and coached several players who had outstanding collegiate careers, including Dwayne Bowe (LSU), Kareem Brown (Miami), Alexander Bostic III (FIU) and Antwan Barnes (FIU) during a three-year run which culminated with the school winning the 6A state title in 2002.
• After graduating from Florida State in `97, Coley received his master's degree in kinesiology from LSU in 2004.
