TAMPA, JAN. 10, 2023 – University of South Florida Head Coach Alex Golesh has named James Rowe as the Bulls’ safeties coach, returning the former USF baseball player to Tampa with 12 years of experience in college and professional football.
A Cocoa, Fla. native, Rowe returns to USF after serving the 2022 season as a defensive backs coach with the Chicago Bears and having logged 12 seasons as a football coach, including five in the NFL. Rowe is a 2009 graduate of USF and was a three-time letterman on the Bulls’ baseball team as a pitcher and outfielder.
“I’m very excited to welcome a Bull back to Tampa,” Golesh said. “James has a tremendous love and passion for this university, community and athletic program and deep roots in the state of Florida. He brings tremendous experience having mentored successful defensive backs both on the NFL and collegiate levels, and I am thrilled to bring James and his family back to USF as we build a championship caliber program.”
Prior to joining the Bears, Rowe served as cornerbacks coach at Appalachian State (2020-21) for two seasons. In his first season at App State, he 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 Pro Football Focus College, with both receiving All-America recognition from Phil Steele.
Jean-Charles led the nation with 16 PBUs and 17 passes defended, while Jolly broke up six passes and fellow cornerback Steven Jones logged two interceptions – a 34-yard return for a touchdown against Troy and a 63-yard return against North Texas in the bowl win.
Rowe spent the previous three seasons on staff with the NFL’s Washington Redskins (2017-19) as assistant defensive backs coach. 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 a season as defensive coordinator at Division II powerhouse Valdosta State (2016), helping the Blazers to an 8-3 record. Among Division II schools, his defense led the nation with 27 interceptions and ranked fifth in the country in opposing team’s pass 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.
Rowe spent one season as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Florida (2015). 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.
For three seasons Rowe served in a variety of coaching capacities at Jacksonville University (2012-14). 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.
As a student-athlete at South Florida, Rowe lettered three times as a member of the Bulls’ baseball team playing for coaches Eddie Cardieri and Lelo Prado. After majoring in business administration, he earned his bachelor’s degree from USF in 2009.
Rowe married his wife, Tiffany, in July 2019. His brother, David, is the secondary coach for the University of Houston. His father, James Rowe, Jr. played basketball at Florida Tech and coached boys basketball at Cocoa (Fla.) High School for 24 years, winning over 400 games and 2009 boys state championship before retiring in 2018.
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