James Dobson joined the Nebraska football staff in January 2008 as Head Football Strength Coach. He oversees all aspects of the Husker strength and conditioning program for football, which includes, winter conditioning, summer workouts and in-season training.

In Dobson's first season directing Nebraska's strength and conditioning efforts, the Huskers saw gains both on and off the field. Outstanding conditioning was a key factor in NU outscoring its opponents 155-52 in the fourth quarter in 2008. Nebraska's point total and scoring differential in the fourth quarter were both second-best in the nation.

Prior to Nebraska, Dobson was part of the Iowa Hawkeye football program. He was in Iowa City during one of the most successful periods in school history. Iowa appeared in bowl games in six of seven seasons and won 38 games from 2002 to 2005. Iowa won 25 Big Ten games in that same period, including Big Ten titles in 2002 and 2004.

With the Hawkeye program, Dobson worked under Chris Doyle, who is regarded as one of the nation's top strength coaches. Top pupils Dobson has worked with include safety Bob Sanders, tight end Dallas Clark, offensive tackle Robert Gallery and linebacker Chad Greenway.

Sanders earned All-America honors at Iowa in 2003, and was the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year with the Indianapolis Colts. Clark began his Hawkeye career as a walk-on linebacker, but moved to tight end and went on to earn All-America honors in 2002, before being a first-round draft pick. Gallery came to Iowa as a 240-pound tight end, and through the strength program, he left as a 320-pound offensive tackle, won the 2003 Outland Trophy and was the second overall selection in the 2004 draft. Greenway earned All-America honors as a senior in 2005, and was a first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2006.

In addition to his experience at Iowa, Dobson worked for two years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Southern Methodist, working with the football, volleyball and basketball teams.

Dobson attended the University of Wisconsin, where he worked as a student assistant with the Badger football team for three seasons. He earned his B.S. degree in kinesiology from Wisconsin in 1996, and his master's of science and administration degree from Central Michigan in 2004.

A certified strength and conditioning specialist and a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Dobson is a native of Mt. Horeb, Wis. He and his wife, Rebecca, have a son, Colton, and a daughter, Elise.