The 2024 season will be the seventh at his alma mater for James Houck. Houck served as the wide receivers coach for the Thunder before being promoted to the role of Offensive Coordinator following the 2023 campaign.
As wide receivers coach for the Thunder the past few seasons, Houck has been a key part of the high-powered Wheaton offense. In 2023, Houck helped mentor Ben Bonga and Seth Kortenhoeven as they became the first Thunder wide receiver duo to earn First Team All-CCIW honors since 2012. Bonga also earned First Team All-Region honors from D3football.com, as his 79 receptions for 1,035 yards were the most in both categories for a Wheaton receiver since 2008.
Houck was a central part of a Thunder offensive staff that helped guide the unit to 6,012 yards of total offense in 2023 to set a new school record. The Thunder offense averaged 501.0 yards per game for another school record. The Wheaton offense ranked ninth in Division III in scoring (46.0 PPG) and was tenth in total offense in 2023. In 2022, the Thunder offense ranked in the top five in Division III in both total offense and scoring.
Houck has coached and mentored the following Wide Receivers:
All-CCIW performers:
Phillip Nichols (2017, 2018, 2019), Adam Terrini (2019, 2021), Tyler Gautier (2022), Ben Bonga (2023), and Seth Kortenhoeven (2023)
All-Region honorees:
Adam Terrini (2019), Ben Bonga (2023)
Houck ('14) played four years at wide receiver for the Thunder football team, catching 21 passes for 208 yards in his career. A three-time All-State prep player in Indiana, Houck also ran track at Wheaton. He came to Wheaton after serving as the wide receivers coach at Wheaton Academy in 2016. Houck is married to his wife, Kylie, and they have a four-year-old daughter, Reese.
