Jim Caldwell
n his hometown of Beloit, Jim enjoyed an outstanding high school career earning nine varsity letters as a three-sport at Beloit Memorial High. He went on to attend the University of Iowa on a football scholarship, gained a first-string spot in the defensive backfield as a freshman and eventually held that starting position all four years. He graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor’s Degree.
After a year as a graduate assistant at Iowa Jim joined the football staff at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois in 1978. He spent two seasons as the SIU's defensive backs coach before receiving a promotion to defensive coordinator in 1980, becoming the first African American to hold that position in the history of SIU football as well as in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Jim went on to become the first African American quarterback coach at the University of Colorado in 1984.
He joined the staff at Penn State University in 1986, coaching wide receivers. In 1987, Jim became the first African American to coach quarterbacks at Penn State, holding that position for three seasons. From 1991- 1992, in addition to coaching the quarterbacks, he became the passing game coordinator.
Caldwell became the first African American head football coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) when Wake Forest hired him in 1993.
January 2009, Jim became the head football coach of the Indianapolis Colts. During his first season as the Colts Head Coach, the team was 14-2. He became the first African American Head Coach to win his first 14 games in a season.
In 2012, the Baltimore Ravens hired Jim to coach the quarterbacks.
On December 10, 2012, the Ravens dismissed Cam Cameron and named Caldwell as their offensive coordinator, making him the first African American offensive coordinator for the Ravens.
On February 3, 2013, Jim, a offensive coordinator, helped lead the Baltimore offense to a 34–31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
On January 14, 2014, the Detroit Lions announced Jim Caldwell as their new head coach. He was the first African American to hold the position for the Lions. Caldwell was released as the Lions head coach on January 1, 2018, his record as Lions coach was 36–28 (.563), making him one of the winningest head coaches in Detroit Lions history.
Jim Caldwell was inducted in the high school’s Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
In May of 2016 the Beloit School District dedicated the Jim Caldwell Gymnasium at the newly-opened Fran Fruzen Intermediate School in his honor.
