James Finley Named Wide Receivers Coach
December 19, 2025 | Football
CORVALLIS, Ore. – James Finley will join the Oregon State football program as the Wide Receivers Coach, Head Coach JaMarcus Shephard announced Friday.
"I have had the pleasure of being around Coach Finley the last couple of years, and he has done an excellent job of developing young people and identifying those who have the ability to develop at even a higher level," Shephard said. "He has been able to produce NFL players and has always been consistent as a leader and someone who has tremendous character, which was evident the way those in Los Angeles celebrated his hire at Oregon State University."
Finley has previously been at Colorado State University since January 2022 coaching tight ends before his most recent title as wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator.
"I'm ready to get to work with Coach Shephard and this great staff to build something special at Oregon State," Finley said. "Pressure is a privilege. It means things are expected of you."
The appointment is contingent on the completion of all university hiring processes.
Finley coached tight ends his first three years at Colorado State and was promoted to wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator in January 2025. He was originally hired as the running backs coach but shifted to tight ends coach following the hire of Timmy Chang to Hawai'i.
Following the 2023 season at Colorado State, Finley was nominated for the Broyles Award as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation.
Beginning his coaching career in the high school ranks, Finley started at Narbonne High School in California as the defensive backs coach in 2015 before transitioning to wide receivers coach for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
He served as the wide receivers coach at Mater Dei High School, a southern California powerhouse, from 2018-21 and helped lead the team to two national championships.
Finley played wide receiver for two years at Oregon in 2005-06 and finished his career there with 72 receptions for 708 yards and four touchdowns. During his first season, he had 10 receptions for 95 yards at Houston in the season opener, a program record for a newcomer, and added nine receptions in the Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma, helping him earn All-Pac-10 honorable mention recognition.
He began his collegiate career at Compton Community College and was ranked among the nation's Top 10 junior college wide receivers following the 2004 season by SuperPrep when he had 64 receptions for 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns.
A standout high school player at Manual Arts in California, Finley had 83 receptions for more than 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior to be named one of three wide receivers to the Long Beach Press-Telegram's Best-in-the-West. He had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason California-Florida High School All-Star Game.
Finley and his wife, Monique, have four children – Keri, Jae, Mhina and James III.
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
"I have had the pleasure of being around Coach Finley the last couple of years, and he has done an excellent job of developing young people and identifying those who have the ability to develop at even a higher level," Shephard said. "He has been able to produce NFL players and has always been consistent as a leader and someone who has tremendous character, which was evident the way those in Los Angeles celebrated his hire at Oregon State University."
Finley has previously been at Colorado State University since January 2022 coaching tight ends before his most recent title as wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator.
"I'm ready to get to work with Coach Shephard and this great staff to build something special at Oregon State," Finley said. "Pressure is a privilege. It means things are expected of you."
The appointment is contingent on the completion of all university hiring processes.
Finley coached tight ends his first three years at Colorado State and was promoted to wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator in January 2025. He was originally hired as the running backs coach but shifted to tight ends coach following the hire of Timmy Chang to Hawai'i.
Following the 2023 season at Colorado State, Finley was nominated for the Broyles Award as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation.
Beginning his coaching career in the high school ranks, Finley started at Narbonne High School in California as the defensive backs coach in 2015 before transitioning to wide receivers coach for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
He served as the wide receivers coach at Mater Dei High School, a southern California powerhouse, from 2018-21 and helped lead the team to two national championships.
Finley played wide receiver for two years at Oregon in 2005-06 and finished his career there with 72 receptions for 708 yards and four touchdowns. During his first season, he had 10 receptions for 95 yards at Houston in the season opener, a program record for a newcomer, and added nine receptions in the Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma, helping him earn All-Pac-10 honorable mention recognition.
He began his collegiate career at Compton Community College and was ranked among the nation's Top 10 junior college wide receivers following the 2004 season by SuperPrep when he had 64 receptions for 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns.
A standout high school player at Manual Arts in California, Finley had 83 receptions for more than 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior to be named one of three wide receivers to the Long Beach Press-Telegram's Best-in-the-West. He had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason California-Florida High School All-Star Game.
Finley and his wife, Monique, have four children – Keri, Jae, Mhina and James III.
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
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