JJ Laster is in his first season as wide receivers coach at Old Dominion.
Laster comes to ODU from Western Carolina where he coached the Catamount wide receivers and had the top offense in the FCS in 2023, averaging 504.1 yards per game and were third in the country in pass offense at 320.1 yards per game. Laster's top receiver, Censere Lee, had 46 receptions for 792 yards and eight touchdowns and earned All-Southern Conference honors. In 2022, Laster helped Western Carolina to sixth in the FCS in total offense and seventh best passing offense. The back-to-back winning seasons by the Catamounts were the program's first consecutive winning seasons since the 2014-15 seasons.
Prior to his three seasons at WCU, Laster was at Gardner-Webb for the 2019 campaign coaching the running backs and tight ends.
While in Boiling Springs, Laster mentored a trio of All-Big South Conference selections in the three areas he coached. GWU running back Jaylin Cagle earned second-team All-Big South honors after rushing for 930 yards and eight touchdowns with four 100-yard rushing games in 2019, while tight end AJ Alexander also earned all-conference honors. Devron Harper collected first-team All-Big South honors while also finishing as the runner-up for the conference's freshman of the year accolade in addition to collecting first-team FCS Freshman All-America plaudits. Harper finished with 1,600 all-purpose yards in 2019 including 928 return yards that featured a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against FBS-foe, Charlotte.
Prior to Gardner-Webb, Laster spent three seasons coaching football at Tusculum University, first working with the Pioneers' running backs for two seasons and most recently the wide receivers for a year while also serving as the team's recruiting coordinator.
Laster had a distinguished playing career at Jacksonville University, where he was a two-time All-Pioneer Football League (PFL) selection and helped the Dolphins to conference championships in 2008 and 2010.
In 40 career games as a running back with the Dolphins from 2008 to 2011, Laster rushed for 1,796 yards on 343 carries (5.2 yards per carry) with 19 touchdowns while adding 67 receptions for 606 yards and two scores. Laster led FCS with 8.5 yards per rush in 2010 as he gained a career-best 810 yards on 95 carries with seven touchdowns to earn first-team all-PFL honors. As a senior, he had 610 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns while catching 41 passes for 317 yards and one score and was named second-team All-PFL.
After his playing career ended, Laster began his coaching career as a running backs coach at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, before returning to Jacksonville in 2014-15 as a graduate assistant coach working on the defensive side of the ball with the linebackers. In two seasons, Laster helped the Dolphins develop six All-PFL selections while assisting in developing the defensive game plan.
Jesse James Laster, Jr. is a native of Graceville, Florida, where he set the school career rushing record at Graceville High before attending Jacksonville University. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in geography from Jacksonville in 2012 and a master of education in leadership and learning in 2015.
He and his wife Rodricka Laster have a son, Jesse James Laster III.
Laster comes to ODU from Western Carolina where he coached the Catamount wide receivers and had the top offense in the FCS in 2023, averaging 504.1 yards per game and were third in the country in pass offense at 320.1 yards per game. Laster's top receiver, Censere Lee, had 46 receptions for 792 yards and eight touchdowns and earned All-Southern Conference honors. In 2022, Laster helped Western Carolina to sixth in the FCS in total offense and seventh best passing offense. The back-to-back winning seasons by the Catamounts were the program's first consecutive winning seasons since the 2014-15 seasons.
Prior to his three seasons at WCU, Laster was at Gardner-Webb for the 2019 campaign coaching the running backs and tight ends.
While in Boiling Springs, Laster mentored a trio of All-Big South Conference selections in the three areas he coached. GWU running back Jaylin Cagle earned second-team All-Big South honors after rushing for 930 yards and eight touchdowns with four 100-yard rushing games in 2019, while tight end AJ Alexander also earned all-conference honors. Devron Harper collected first-team All-Big South honors while also finishing as the runner-up for the conference's freshman of the year accolade in addition to collecting first-team FCS Freshman All-America plaudits. Harper finished with 1,600 all-purpose yards in 2019 including 928 return yards that featured a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against FBS-foe, Charlotte.
Prior to Gardner-Webb, Laster spent three seasons coaching football at Tusculum University, first working with the Pioneers' running backs for two seasons and most recently the wide receivers for a year while also serving as the team's recruiting coordinator.
Laster had a distinguished playing career at Jacksonville University, where he was a two-time All-Pioneer Football League (PFL) selection and helped the Dolphins to conference championships in 2008 and 2010.
In 40 career games as a running back with the Dolphins from 2008 to 2011, Laster rushed for 1,796 yards on 343 carries (5.2 yards per carry) with 19 touchdowns while adding 67 receptions for 606 yards and two scores. Laster led FCS with 8.5 yards per rush in 2010 as he gained a career-best 810 yards on 95 carries with seven touchdowns to earn first-team all-PFL honors. As a senior, he had 610 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns while catching 41 passes for 317 yards and one score and was named second-team All-PFL.
After his playing career ended, Laster began his coaching career as a running backs coach at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, before returning to Jacksonville in 2014-15 as a graduate assistant coach working on the defensive side of the ball with the linebackers. In two seasons, Laster helped the Dolphins develop six All-PFL selections while assisting in developing the defensive game plan.
Jesse James Laster, Jr. is a native of Graceville, Florida, where he set the school career rushing record at Graceville High before attending Jacksonville University. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in geography from Jacksonville in 2012 and a master of education in leadership and learning in 2015.
He and his wife Rodricka Laster have a son, Jesse James Laster III.