RJ Fleming - Football Coach - James Madison University Athletics

RJ Fleming

Title:
Wide Receivers
Phone:
540-568-6517

RJ Fleming is in his first season with the James Madison football program in 2026, as he serves as the wide receiver coach.

Fleming joins the Dukes with more than a decade of coaching experience, with the majority at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

Most recently, Fleming served as wide receivers coach at Toledo for three seasons (2023-25). In his three years, the Rockets went 27-13 overall, which included an 11-win season in his first season in 2023.

He produced five All-MAC selections in his three seasons, highlighted by Junior Vandeross, a two-time First Team member, going for 2,629 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns while being mentored by Fleming. Jerjuan Newton, a 2024 First Team All-MAC receiver, had 1,048 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024 while leading the league in receiving yards, with 696, in 2023.

The 2025 season saw Toledo lead the MAC in scoring offense (30.8) and passing offense (238.1) while going 8-5. Vandeross ranked ninth nationally and led the MAC with 11 receiving touchdowns while tallying 1,008 receiving yards and averaging 6.31 catches per game, good for 11th in the FBS.

In 2024, Toledo also wen 8-5 and won the GameAbove Sports Bowl versus Pitt in a 48-46 six overtime victory. Vandeross led the Rockets and ranked third in the MAC with 85 catches and 957 receiving yards. He was named Offensive MVP in the bowl win after making 12 catches for 194 yards against Pitt. Newton’s lead in MAC receiving scores also ranked seventh nationally that season.

During his first season in the Glass City, Toledo led the MAC in receiving yards (3,089), receiving yards per game (220.6), yards per catch (8.2), receiving touchdowns (26) and offensive efficiency (147.8). Individually, Newton was a First Team All-MAC pick, ranked third in the conference in catches while Vandeross was fourth in receiving.

Fleming joined Toledo after spending a season at Texas State as the running backs coach in 2022. In his one year in San Marcos, he mentored Lincoln Pare to a 760-yard, five-touchdown season, which was the most rushing yards by a Bobcat since 2015. TXST ranked 12th nationally in red zone offense that season.

He also had a one-year stint at Eastern Michigan as receivers coach in 2021. He helped EMU become bowl eligible for just the sixth time in program history, going 7-6 and reaching the LendingTree Bowl. The Eagles finished third in the MAC in passing offense (264.0) and he mentored Hassan Beydoun to Second Team All-MAC status with over 1,000 yards.

Prior to EMU, Fleming was at Liberty for two seasons (2019-20) as an offensive analyst, helping the Flames become bowl eligible for the first time in school history, finishing 2020 with a #17 ranking and 10-1 record. He mentored Antonio Gandy-Golden, a near 1,400-yard receiver who was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by Washington.

He began his collegiate career at TCU (2016-18) as an offensive graduate assistant, where he was part of 23 wins, three bowl appearances and one Big 12 Conference title appearance in 2017, going 11-3. TCU finished ninth nationally in the AP Top 25 in 2017. He also had stints at Arkansas Tech as a GA and Trinity International as a defensive backs coach in 2015

A native of Natchez, Miss., Fleming was a receiver at Arkansas State from 2010-13. He appeared in 39 career games, picking up 46 receptions for 421 yards to go along with nine kickoff returns with an average of 33.8 yards. A-State appeared in both the 2012 and 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowls, with Fleming earning a start in the 2012 edition of the game.

After graduation, Fleming played for the San Angelo Bandits and the Arizona Rattlers of the Professional Indoor Football League in 2015. Fleming earned his bachelor’s degree from Arkansas State in 2014 and master’s degree from TCU in 2017. He and his wife, Emily, have a son, Cayson, and a daughter, Gianna.

Fleming Coaching File
2023-25: Toledo (Wide Receivers)
2022: Auburn (Offensive Analyst)
2022: Texas State (Running Backs)
2021: Eastern Michigan (Wide Receivers)
2019-20: Liberty (Offensive Quality Control)
2016-18: TCU (Graduate Assistant)
2015: Trinity International (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2015: Arkansas Tech (Graduate Assistant)