The story of Texas athletics can’t be written without Coach James Blackwood. The longtime recruiter and mentor traveled throughout the country (and sometimes abroad) to get the best talent to Austin during his 25 years with the program. Tragically, he passed away at the age of 85 on January 22, leaving behind a legacy filled with recruiting superstars, but above all, countless stories of his work.

“It’s a sad day with the passing of longtime Texas Athletics staffer James Blackwood,” The Longhorns said on X. “He dedicated 25 years to UT, first as assistant track & field and cross country coach, then as football recruiting coordinator and academic counselor. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Even before he began his coaching career, Blackwood’s journey started at Abilene High School, where he was part of a state title team in 1959. In an interview celebrating his induction into the Texas Track and Field Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021, Blackwood recalled trying out for baseball and being cut.

“So, I went out for track. I didn’t make a meet as a sophomore. As a junior, I finished 13th out of 14 in the mile at the district meet. But something clicked the next year. I ran very well, earned several scholarship offers, including a partial scholarship to Oregon, but I chose Abilene Christian,” he said.

He recalled being around Olympic gold medalists like Bobby Morrow and Bill Woodhouse, the legendary sprinters. However, what inspired Blackwood the most were coaches like Bob Groat at Abilene High, Oliver Jackson, and Bill McClure, an Olympic coach in Munich.

Blackwood began his coaching career in 1965 at Corpus Christi W.B. Ray High School as an assistant track and cross-country coach. His team’s 1965 state championship and runner-up finish in 1966 were enough to elevate him into the collegiate world. Yet he persisted in high school athletics from 1967 to 1970, serving as an assistant football coach at Corpus Christi King. Eventually, Blackwood’s first collegiate stint came with Texas in 1972.

Blackwood became an assistant coach for track and field/cross country, serving the Longhorns. During his time at Texas, his teams won 13 Southwest Conference Championships and finished 11 times in the top 10 of the NCAA Championships. And there are countless stories from that period.

One involved recruiting decathlete Tim Taft, who was also pursued by Texas Tech. However, Blackwood convinced him by handing him a little toy car, symbolizing the promise that he’d eventually get the vehicle when he came to Austin. Not every pursuit was successful, though.

In 1981, Texas track coach Cleburne Price wanted to recruit African athletes Francis Garbrah and Samuel Quaicoe. Blackwood traveled to Accra, the capital of Ghana, to meet the players. He brought the players to Austin, but the program later discovered they had lied about their performances. Even the failures showed that Blackwood didn’t hesitate to travel to the length and breadth of the world to get players.

By 1985, Blackwood’s work was gaining recognition, and Texas Football roped him in as their recruiting coordinator.

Fans remember a coach who was a joy to be around

Blackwood’s tenure as recruiting coordinator is defined by his personal approach and unrelenting recruiting acumen. That approach brought home one Southwest Conference title and three bowl game appearances during his tenure. Cherry on top? More than 25 players Blackwood recruited went on to play in the NFL.

“We all loved him. May his memory be a blessing,” wrote a user on X. Another user commended James’ track and field acumen and sent a heartfelt tribute. “James was a marvelous man to shoot the breeze with, and he had a huge breadth of knowledge about track.” The athletic coach cum recruiter continued his ascent in Austin, becoming Texas’s academic counselor in 1996.

Working in the field was what Blackwood had always wanted. In just one year, he returned to coaching as the head cross-country coach at Southern Mississippi University. After his brief stint with the program, Blackwood became the head coach of UTSA’s women’s track and field team. During his time there, he mentored 17 Olympic athletes and retired in 2008 after 7 years in that position.

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“James was absolutely a joy to be around. Brought out the best in everyone… and with a laugh or a smile,” a user described James Blackwood. Another user fondly remembered his recruiting acumen and management at Texas. “James was a loyal Longhorn and a great on-campus recruiter for all sports. He was very popular with players and coaches.”

Blackwood spent 39 years in athletics and coached 74 NCAA All-American athletes. A native of Texas, James spent much of his career there, and his move to UTSA was motivated by his desire to remain in-state. UTSA, in turn, benefited.

“RIP HookEm!” a Texas fan wrote about Blackwood. Among the players Blackwood coached is Olympian Patrick Sang, who won the silver medal in 1992. Johnny Jones is another athlete who won gold in the 4×100-meter relay alongside Henry Marsh, a four-time Olympian. Because of the unprecedented success that Blackwood achieved with his athletes, his legacy will be etched forever in NCAA athletics.