Stan State’s Director of Athletics Aaron Allaire has announced the hiring of Adam James as the fifth head coach in Stan State women’s soccer program history.
James arrives at Stan State following a standout stint as the assistant women’s soccer coach at Azusa Pacific University, where he helped guide one of the nation’s premier NCAA Division II programs. During his tenure, the Cougars captured the 2025 PacWest Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II West Regional title match, earning West Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors and a Sweet 16 appearance. The program also made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2024 and 2025 — its first since 2016. In 2024 and 2025, the Cougars posted back-to-back 12-win seasons, finishing 12-4-5 and 12-4-1, respectively.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Adam and his wife, Charity, to Stan State. We had an extremely competitive pool of candidates which shows to the health and excitement of this program. Adam stood out with his vision he had for both the future of the program and this current team. We have had a strong tradition of excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in the community and we look forward to continuing that on. It is a great time to be a Warrior Soccer supporter!” said Stan State Director of Athletics Aaron Allaire.
At Azusa Pacific, James played a central role in recruiting strategy, roster management, training periodization, tactical planning, and match-day decision-making, helping the Cougars reach their highest national ranking in school history (#9) and set a program record with 10 consecutive shutouts. He recruited and developed multiple high-impact student-athletes, including the 2025 PacWest Freshman of the Year, the PacWest Defender of the Year, All-Americans, and six All-West Region selections.
James also currently serves as an assistant women’s soccer coach with FC Premier in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), helping the club achieve a No. 1 West Region ranking and No. 2 national ranking during the 2025 season.
Prior to his time at Azusa Pacific, James was an assistant men’s soccer coach at Cal State San Bernardino, where he helped lead the program to a Top 25 national ranking and coached four players who advanced to the professional ranks, including athletes now with LAFC and the LA Galaxy. His coaching background also includes roles at Benedictine College and William Jewell College, along with serving as a head high school coach and founding his own player development academy.
A former collegiate All-American, who led his team in goals and points, and a professional player. James competed in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) earning All-MASL and All-MASL Rookie Team. His professional career started with the Kansas City Comets from 2017-22 and continued to the Empire Strykers from 2022-24.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead Stanislaus State Women’s Soccer. I look forward to building strong relationships within the program and pursuing excellence both on and off the field. I am excited to get to work and represent the Warrior community with pride,” noted James.
James holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Azusa Pacific University (2025) and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Benedictine College (2018). He also holds multiple coaching certifications, including a USSF C License and a United Soccer Coaches Advanced National Diploma.
