“We want to thank Coach James for his efforts in leading the Panther football program,” VUU AD Joe Taylor said in a statement. “After serious discussions about the future of Virginia Union Football, the decision was made that it’s time to move the program forward under new leadership.”
VUU went 26-15 in four seasons under James, including a 6-4 mark in the 2017 season. James best season came in 2015 when he led the team to an 8-2 regular season mark and an NCAA playoff appearance.
The Panthers failed to make the CIAA Championship Game under James, however, as in-state rival Virginia State (2014, 17) and Bowie State (2015-16) kept a stranglehold on an improved Northern Division.
James was close to being let go following a 5-5 season in 2016, sources told HBCU Gameday last year, but he ultimately returned. He is the first HBCU coach to be dismissed following the 2017 season.
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