James Thomas Jr. is the safeties coach for the University of Maryland football program in College Park, Maryland, and enters the 2026 season as a member of the Terrapins' staff for the sixth year and his second overseeing the safeties.
Maryland's safeties were a productive part of the defense in 2025. Jalen Huskey and Lavain Scruggs combined for 136 tackles and six interceptions, while the Terrapins led the Big Ten and ranked fourth nationally with 19 interceptions, the program's second-highest total this century. Huskey earned second-team All-Big Ten recognition after recording four interceptions, a total that ranked among the conference leaders and among the top marks nationally.
