LEXINGTON, Va. - VMI head wrestling coach John Trudgeon announced Monday the hiring of assistant coach Franky James.    James was named the 2002 Southern Conference Coach of the Year as the interim head coach of Chattanooga. He led the Mocs to the SoCon regular season and tournament titles in his one-year stint. He coached four conference champions and five NCAA qualifiers. He was promoted to interim head coach after one season as assistant coach at UTC.    Prior to his stint at Chattanooga, James served at his alma mater, Carson-Newman as an assistant coach for two seasons. He helped lead the Eagles to two top 10 national finishes in Division two and coached seven All-Americans, as well as a national champion.    James graduated from Carson-Newman in 1998. He wrestled his senior year for the Eagles and won the South regional champion at 149 lbs., while gaining NCAA All-America status. He transferred from the University of Oklahoma, where he was a starter for a Sooner team that finished the Division I top 10. James began his collegiate career at Garden City (Kans.) Community College, where he was the national runner-up at the 134 lb. weight class of the National Junior College Championships in 1994, helping lead the team to the National Championship.    A native of Choctaw, Okla., James graduated from Choctaw High School. He earned all-state honors as a senior in 1992.    "I'm really happy about being at VMI and working with coach Trudgeon and coach (Aaron Bruce)," said James. "There's no other place in America I'd rather be. VMI is a class act."    "We're excited about having Franky aboard," said Trudgeon. "He did an outstanding job at Chattanooga and was fully deserving of his coach of the year honor. When you have a chance to get a chance to hire a coach like Franky James, you do it. Right now, We feel that we have as good of a three-man coaching staff as anyone in Division I."