JaMarcus Shephard’s prospective wide receivers coach used to play right down the road in Eugene.
Oregon State football is adding a former Oregon Ducks wide receiver to its coaching staff, and taking him away from a new Pac-12 rival in the process.
Colorado State assistant James Finley is set to be hired as the Beavers’ next wide receivers coach, multiple sources with knowledge of the decision told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday.
JaMarcus Shephard, OSU’s new head coach and a former wide receivers coach himself, brings in one of the rising assistants on the West Coast with significant recruiting experience.
Finley was nominated for the Broyles Award — given to the nation’s top assistant coach — in 2023 when he was CSU’s tight ends coach. He served as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for CSU in 2025.
Prior to making the jump to college coaching, Finley was the wide receivers coach at powerhouse Mater Dei High School in California from 2018-21. He also worked with defensive backs and wide receivers at Narbonne High School from 2015-17.
Originally from Inglewood, California, Finley’s playing career got started with two seasons at Compton Community College. In two seasons with the Ducks, he caught 72 passes for 708 yards and two touchdowns.
This week, Finley also posted an old recruiting article from 247Sports on social media, recounting his visit to OSU during high school. And he celebrated his daughter’s acceptance to OSU in a previous post.
Thus far, OSU’s staff is set to include football general manager Eron Hodges, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mitch Dahlen, offensive line coach Kirk Barron, defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Cort Dennison, and defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield, among others.
While The Oregonian/OregonLive and other outlets initially reported Alabama assistant Torrey Gill as the target at wide receivers coach, it is unclear whether he will join Shephard’s staff at OSU in a different role.
