James Ray Hess (December 1, 1936 – October 2, 2021) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas from 1974 to 1981, Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas from 1982 to 1988, and New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico from 1990 to 1996, compiling career college football coaching record of 134–108–5. Hess led his 1978 Angelo State team to a NAIA Division I Football National Championship.
