James Campen is in his first season as Steelers' offensive line coach in 2026. He most recently served as a scouting consultant to the personnel department of the Green Bay Packers (2024-25).
Campen will enter his 21st season in the NFL – all coaching offensive line – and his first as Pittsburgh's offensive line coach in 2026. He held the same position with the Carolina Panthers (2022-23), Houston Texans (2021), L.A. Chargers (2020), Cleveland Browns (2019) and Green Bay Packers (2004-18), guiding eight players to Pro Bowl selections in the process.
Campen coached in Green Bay for 15 years (2004-18) – 13 years of which came alongside Steelers' head coach Mike McCarthy, where he was the run game coordinator (2018), offensive line coach (2007-18), assistant offensive line coach (2004-06) and offensive quality control coach (2004-05).
In his time coaching in Green Bay, Campen tutored seven Pro Bowl offensive linemen, including guard Josh Sitton to four selections in a five-year span (2012, 2014-16). From 2010-18, the Packers were the only team in the NFL to have six different offensive linemen recognized as Pro Bowlers. In 2018, he coached offensive tackle David Bakhtiari to an AP first team All-Pro selection.
Over his tenure in Green Bay, the Packers averaged the third-most points/game (25.5), as the Packers offense ranked in the top-10 in scoring offense nine times and total offense eight times. The line protected quarterback Aaron Rodgers en route to two MVP seasons (2011 and 2014), while spurring a run to a victory in Super Bowl XLV.
Offensive tackles Ikem Ekwonu – the team's 2022 first-round selection – and Taylor Moton once again played in all 17 regular-season games in 2023. Moton extended his streak to 115 consecutive games played for the Panthers. His streak ranked third in franchise history and first among non-specialists at the time. Running back Chuba Hubbard set then career-highs in rushing attempts (238), rushing yards (902), receptions (39) and receiving yards (233). His 59 first downs by rush tied for the fifth-most in the NFL and ranked third in franchise history for a single season. Hubbard led Carolina with 1,135 scrimmage yards. Over the last 10 weeks of '23, he ranked ninth in the League in rush yards (632) and third in rush attempts (169).
In his first season in Carolina (2022), Campen guided an offensive line group that produced a stellar season. Four of the five players started all 17 games at their respective positions with Ekwonu and Moton playing 100 percent of the snaps. Carolina allowed just 36 sacks, 11th fewest in the league, a season after they allowed the fifth most (52). During the final 12 weeks of the season, the Panthers also tied for the third-fewest sacks allowed (17), ranked 10th in sacks per passing attempt (5.8%), and were eighth in average time for a quarterback to throw (2.94 seconds).
The offensive line also keyed one of the NFL's most productive running games over the final 12 weeks of the season. In that stretch, Carolina ranked fifth in rushing attempts (359), fourth in rushing yards (1,668), and 10th in yards per rush (4.65). The Panthers rushed for more than 160 yards in seven of the final 11 games, including three contests of 200+ yards. That included a franchise-best 320 yards in a 37-23 victory in Week 16 against the Lions, part of an offensive performance that also resulted in another franchise record – 570 total net yards.
With the Chargers (2020), Campen coached a unit that helped the team finish with the league's ninth-best offense (382.1 yards per game). Despite starting 10 different offensive linemen, the group helped Justin Herbert win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, as the quarterback's 31 passing TDs were the most by a rookie in NFL history and his 4,336 passing yards were the second most.
As the associate head coach/offensive line coach for the Browns (2019), Campen oversaw an offensive line that helped Nick Chubb rush for 1,494 yards, the most by a Cleveland back since Jim Brown in 1965. Guard Joel Bitonio earned his second-straight Pro Bowl selection.
Campen began his coaching career as the head coach at Ponderosa H.S. (1999-03) in Shingle Springs, Calif.
An offensive lineman for the Packers (1989-93) and Saints (1986-88), Campen started 50 of 67 games played after going undrafted out of Tulane (1986).
After two years at Sacramento City College, he attended Tulane University, where he was a two-year starter (1984-85). Campen received the school's Dr. Eamon Kelley Award as a senior, honoring the top student-athlete in the class who bettered the campus and community. He earned a bachelor's degree in social science with an emphasis in criminal justice.
He and his wife, Charlene, have two daughters, Kirstie and Kaley.
