Following his black belt promotion, Jamie Cruz built a reputation as one of the premier grappling coaches in New Jersey, channeling the technical foundation forged under Renzo Gracie into a productive and influential coaching career. His work at AMA Fight Club earned him widespread recognition within the regional martial arts community, particularly for his ability to develop high-level competitors.
Among the athletes Cruz coached during this period were Charlie Brenneman, Brian McLaughlin, and brothers Dan Miller and Jim Miller — the latter two going on to become prominent figures in the UFC. The Miller brothers stand as a testament to the quality of Cruz's instruction, with both achieving significant success at the highest levels of mixed martial arts competition.
Cruz subsequently departed AMA Fight Club to take on a coaching role at the Woodland Park Camal Judo Academy in New Jersey. There, he expanded his footprint in the state by opening a Renzo Gracie Academy affiliate, bringing the lineage and methodology of his own instructor directly to the New Jersey grappling community and continuing to develop competitive talent under that banner.