All Badgers

Former Badgers RB hired to be head football coach at Frank Kaminsky's high school

Following the conclusion of the 2025 college season, former Wisconsin Badgers running back James White will begin his career as a head coach.
Benjamin Worgull|
Illinois assistant running back coach James White has been named the head football coach at Benet Academy for the 2025 season.
Illinois assistant running back coach James White has been named the head football coach at Benet Academy for the 2025 season. | Illinois Athletics

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

Former Wisconsin running back James White has a new coaching position. He can dial up another former Badgers All-American if he needs directions or recommendations.

The three-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Big Ten champion will receive his first head coaching opportunity when it was announced Thursday he'll become the new head football coach at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, next season.

The school should sound familiar to Wisconsin fans, as it produced Wisconsin Badgers All-American center Frank Kaminsky, who was the 2015 college basketball national player of the year.

“Coach White’s championship mindset in his playing career and his coaching career makes him a perfect fit for Benet Academy,” Benet Academy Athletic Director Scott Lawler said in a statement. “He aligns perfectly with our school’s mission. He’s a passionate person and in the interview, he talked about how there were plenty of people who helped him achieve his dreams. Now, he’s ready to help young men achieve theirs. That blew me away.”

White is one of the most successful players in the history of Wisconsin football. The Badgers won three Big Ten titles during his tenure (2010-13), as White was named the 2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He currently ranks fourth in rushing (4,015) and third in total touchdowns (48) with the Badgers.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. White played 95 NFL games over an eight-year career. He ran for 3,278 yards and scored 25 touchdowns, helping the Patriots to six division titles and three Super Bowl championships.

He was instrumental in New England's second championship, accounting for 139 total yards, including a Super Bowl-record 14 receptions for 110 receiving yards, and scored three touchdowns. His 1-yard touchdown run with 0:57 left in regulation helped the Patriots tie the game before his 2-yard run in overtime was the game-winner, as New England erased a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta in one of the greatest comebacks in postseason history.

White's three titles (2015, '17, '19) trail only former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster (1975-76, 1979-80) for most Super Bowl wins among former Badgers.

White entered the collegiate field when he was the Director of Player Personnel at Northern Illinois in 2024, working under head coach Thomas Hammock. Hammock was White's running back coach his final three years.

He was hired by his former college head coach, Bret Bielema, to be the assistant running backs coach. Bielema recruited White out of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where White was initially the backup tailback.

The Illini are 7-3 on the season, 4-3 in the Big Ten, and play Wisconsin in Madison tomorrow night (6:30 p.m./Big Ten Network).

"I want to give a huge thank you to Coach Bielema for giving me the opportunity to join his staff to learn and grow as a coach," White said in a statement. "I’m excited for the future and can’t wait to build relationships within the Benet Community."

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

Share on XFollow TheBadgerNation
Home/Football