Donald Earl James (December 31, 1932 – October 20, 2013) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Kent State University from 1971 to 1974 and at the University of Washington from 1975 to 1992, compiling a career college football record of His 1991 Washington team won a share of the national championship after completing a season with a decisive win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. James was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach Early years James was born in 1932 at his family's home on the outskirts of Massillon, Ohio. He was the fourth of five sons. Four of the five played football, and the eldest, Tommy, starred at Ohio State on the 1942 national championship team, and played professional football for a decade James attended Massillon Washington High School, played quarterback for the football team (1948, 1949), and graduated College football and military service James attended the University of Miami on a football scholarship, and was the Hurricanes' quarterback in 1952 and 1953. He set Miami single-season records for completions (121), yards (1,363), and completion percentage (56.9%). He earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1954, and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. James was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. Coaching career Assistant coaching positions James was a graduate assistant for the Jayhawks at the University of Kansas under his former high school coach, Chuck Mather, and received a master's degree in education. He coached high school football in Florida at Southwest Miami High School in 1959, then was a college assistant coach for twelve seasons at Florida State, Michigan, and Colorado. Kent State James became a head coach in 1971 at Kent State in his native Ohio, where he had a record in four years. There he coached future NFL great Jack Lambert, current college head coach Nick Saban of Alabama, and former head coach Gary Pinkel of Missouri. During his four seasons at Kent, the Golden Flashes won their only Mid-American Conference (MAC) title in 1972, and played in their first bowl game, the Tangerine Bowl. The 1973 team posted the best record in program history at 9–2. Washington In December 1974, James was hired by University of Washington (UW) athletic director Joseph Kearney to succeed as head coach of the His original contract