James M. Kling comes to Our Lady of the Lake University after a six-year stint as assistant coach at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Kling served three years as a volunteer assistant and three years as a full-time assistant at the NCAA Division II school. His teams have reached the regional tournament five of those six years and the Elite Eight in 2005. Thirty student-athletes he has helped coach have earned  All-Heartland Conference honors and 10 have been named All-American.

At St. Mary's University, Kling also was the head cross-country coach. During his first season, he led the team to a third-place finish at the conference championship tournament. His cross-country team had the highest grade point average of all athletic teams at St. Mary's.

Kling graduated cum laude from the University of the Incarnate Word with a Bachelor of Business Administration in management. He has two daughters, Kym and Kathryn.