FIVE NEW HEAD COACHES NAMED TO THE AFCA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
January 8, 2024
Vanderbilt University head coach Clark Lea, Rice University head coach Mike Bloomgren, Colorado State University head coach Jay Norvell, University of Tennessee at Martin head coach Jason Simpson and Virginia Union University head coach Alvin Parker have been elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Those head coaches were elected by members attending the 2024 AFCA Convention today. Lea will represent the Southeastern Conference, Bloomgren will represent the American Athletic Conference, Norvell will represent the Mountain West Conference, Simpson will be an FCS representative and Parker will be a Division II representative.
Those coaches will join a group of distinguished head coaches who guide the organization. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Returning members of the AFCA Board of Trustees include incoming president Jeff McMartin of Central College, first vice-president Bobby Hauck of the University of Montana, second vice-president Neal Brown of West Virginia University and third vice-president Jim Catanzaro of Lake Forest College.
Also serving on the Board in 2024 are: Steve Ryan, Morningside University; James Franklin, Penn State University; Dave Clawson, Wake Forest University; Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State University; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International University; Maurice Linguist, University at Buffalo; Kane Wommack, University of South Alabama; Mike Babcock, McKendree University; Randy Bates, University of Pittsburgh; ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Kansas State University, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Advancement Committee; Michael Christensen, Carson (Calif.) High School, ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee; and Scott Strohmeier, Iowa Western Community College, ex officio member and Junior College representative. AFCA Executive Director Craig Bohl serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.
Clark Lea completed his third season as head coach at Vanderbilt. A former Commodore fullback, Lea is building the Vanderbilt football program with discipline, trying to maximize possessions, and protecting the quarterback. In his second season, Lea doubled the win total from 2021 and won multiple SEC games for the first time since 2018. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Lea was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. His defenses helped the Fighting Irish to a No. 2 ranking in 2020 and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2018. Lea began his coaching career at UCLA in 2006 as a graduate assistant on defense. He left for two seasons to be the linebackers coach at South Dakota State before returning to UCLA in 2009. Lea was the UCLA linebackers coach for 2010 and 2011, then he moved on to Bowling Green in 2012, again as linebackers coach. He spent three years at Syracuse as linebackers coach, then one season at Wake Forest in 2016 before heading to Notre Dame in 2017 as linebackers coach.
Mike Bloomgren finished his sixth season as the head coach at Rice. He helped the Owls transition from Conference USA to their first season in the American Athletic Conference. Rice won the most games under Bloomgren in 2023, going 6-7 and appeared in their second straight bowl game. Bloomgren came to Rice after seven seasons at Stanford where he started as the offensive line coach and moved to offensive coordinator his final five years. The Cardinal won eight or more games in each season Bloomgren was there, played in four Pac-12 Championship games, winning three of them. He began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant at Florida State in 1997. Bloomgren then moved on to Alabama in 1999 as a graduate assistant, then became co-offensive coordinator at Catawba in 2002. He was the offensive coordinator at Delta State from 2005-06, then joined the New York Jets as offensive quality control coach in 2007. Bloomgren stayed with the Jets for four years before joining the Stanford staff in 2011.
Jay Norvell is coming off his second season as the head coach at Colorado State, where he increased his win total by two games from his first season in 2022. He came to Colorado State after spending five years as the head coach at Nevada. Norvell guided the Wolf Pack to 33 wins, two second place finishes in the Mountain West Conference and four bowl games, winning two of them. Norvell played collegiately at Iowa and spent two years in the NFL before embarking on his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1986. He spent one season at Northern Iowa as wide receivers coach before going to Wisconsin in 1989 as an offensive line coach. Norvell would also coach wide receivers and tight ends in his six seasons with the Badgers before spending three seasons at Iowa State. In 1998, he jumped to the NFL as wide receivers coach at Indianapolis, then became tight ends coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2002. Norvell returned to college coaching at Nebraska in 2004 as the offensive coordinator. He spent three seasons with the Cornhuskers, then one year at UCLA before joining the Oklahoma Sooners in 2008 as assistant offensive coordinator. Norvell coached seven seasons at Oklahoma, then spent the 2015 season at Texas and the 2016 season at Arizona State before becoming the Nevada head coach in 2017.
The longest tenured head football coach in the Ohio Valley Conference, Jason Simpson completed his 18th season at UT Martin. He has an overall record of 115-87. Simpson’s 115 career victories rank fourth in OVC history, and his 87 conference wins sits in third place. The Skyhawks have won four OVC titles, all under Simpson in 2006, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Simpson is a two-time OVC Coach of the Year and was named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2006. He has coached 38 All-Americans and 160 All-Conference players in his 18 years. After playing football at Mississippi State, Simpson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Delta State in 1995. He spent one season at Collins High School in Mississippi before returning to college coaching at Jacksonville State in 1997. Simpson spent three seasons as the quarterbacks coach for the Gamecocks before going to Texas State as the quarterbacks coach in 2000. After three years with the Bobcats, Simpson coached at Tennessee-Chattanooga from 2003-05 before becoming the head coach at UT Martin in 2006.
Alvin Parker completed his sixth year leading his alma mater and turned in one of the best seasons in school history. Virginia Union went 10-2, won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title and appeared in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Parker has a 39-13 overall record at VUU with two straight appearances in the Division II playoffs. A former running back for the Panthers, Parker began his coaching career at Virginia Union in 1999 as an offensive assistant. He coached running backs for two years, then became the offensive coordinator for the 2003 season. Parker moved on to Elizabeth City State in 2004 and spent 12 years as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. In 2016, Parker became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at St. Augustine’s before returning to VUU in 2018.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Vanderbilt University head coach Clark Lea, Rice University head coach Mike Bloomgren, Colorado State University head coach Jay Norvell, University of Tennessee at Martin head coach Jason Simpson and Virginia Union University head coach Alvin Parker have been elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Those head coaches were elected by members attending the 2024 AFCA Convention today. Lea will represent the Southeastern Conference, Bloomgren will represent the American Athletic Conference, Norvell will represent the Mountain West Conference, Simpson will be an FCS representative and Parker will be a Division II representative.
Those coaches will join a group of distinguished head coaches who guide the organization. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Returning members of the AFCA Board of Trustees include incoming president Jeff McMartin of Central College, first vice-president Bobby Hauck of the University of Montana, second vice-president Neal Brown of West Virginia University and third vice-president Jim Catanzaro of Lake Forest College.
Also serving on the Board in 2024 are: Steve Ryan, Morningside University; James Franklin, Penn State University; Dave Clawson, Wake Forest University; Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State University; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International University; Maurice Linguist, University at Buffalo; Kane Wommack, University of South Alabama; Mike Babcock, McKendree University; Randy Bates, University of Pittsburgh; ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Kansas State University, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Advancement Committee; Michael Christensen, Carson (Calif.) High School, ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee; and Scott Strohmeier, Iowa Western Community College, ex officio member and Junior College representative. AFCA Executive Director Craig Bohl serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.
Clark Lea completed his third season as head coach at Vanderbilt. A former Commodore fullback, Lea is building the Vanderbilt football program with discipline, trying to maximize possessions, and protecting the quarterback. In his second season, Lea doubled the win total from 2021 and won multiple SEC games for the first time since 2018. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Lea was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. His defenses helped the Fighting Irish to a No. 2 ranking in 2020 and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2018. Lea began his coaching career at UCLA in 2006 as a graduate assistant on defense. He left for two seasons to be the linebackers coach at South Dakota State before returning to UCLA in 2009. Lea was the UCLA linebackers coach for 2010 and 2011, then he moved on to Bowling Green in 2012, again as linebackers coach. He spent three years at Syracuse as linebackers coach, then one season at Wake Forest in 2016 before heading to Notre Dame in 2017 as linebackers coach.
Mike Bloomgren finished his sixth season as the head coach at Rice. He helped the Owls transition from Conference USA to their first season in the American Athletic Conference. Rice won the most games under Bloomgren in 2023, going 6-7 and appeared in their second straight bowl game. Bloomgren came to Rice after seven seasons at Stanford where he started as the offensive line coach and moved to offensive coordinator his final five years. The Cardinal won eight or more games in each season Bloomgren was there, played in four Pac-12 Championship games, winning three of them. He began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant at Florida State in 1997. Bloomgren then moved on to Alabama in 1999 as a graduate assistant, then became co-offensive coordinator at Catawba in 2002. He was the offensive coordinator at Delta State from 2005-06, then joined the New York Jets as offensive quality control coach in 2007. Bloomgren stayed with the Jets for four years before joining the Stanford staff in 2011.
Jay Norvell is coming off his second season as the head coach at Colorado State, where he increased his win total by two games from his first season in 2022. He came to Colorado State after spending five years as the head coach at Nevada. Norvell guided the Wolf Pack to 33 wins, two second place finishes in the Mountain West Conference and four bowl games, winning two of them. Norvell played collegiately at Iowa and spent two years in the NFL before embarking on his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1986. He spent one season at Northern Iowa as wide receivers coach before going to Wisconsin in 1989 as an offensive line coach. Norvell would also coach wide receivers and tight ends in his six seasons with the Badgers before spending three seasons at Iowa State. In 1998, he jumped to the NFL as wide receivers coach at Indianapolis, then became tight ends coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2002. Norvell returned to college coaching at Nebraska in 2004 as the offensive coordinator. He spent three seasons with the Cornhuskers, then one year at UCLA before joining the Oklahoma Sooners in 2008 as assistant offensive coordinator. Norvell coached seven seasons at Oklahoma, then spent the 2015 season at Texas and the 2016 season at Arizona State before becoming the Nevada head coach in 2017.
The longest tenured head football coach in the Ohio Valley Conference, Jason Simpson completed his 18th season at UT Martin. He has an overall record of 115-87. Simpson’s 115 career victories rank fourth in OVC history, and his 87 conference wins sits in third place. The Skyhawks have won four OVC titles, all under Simpson in 2006, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Simpson is a two-time OVC Coach of the Year and was named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2006. He has coached 38 All-Americans and 160 All-Conference players in his 18 years. After playing football at Mississippi State, Simpson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Delta State in 1995. He spent one season at Collins High School in Mississippi before returning to college coaching at Jacksonville State in 1997. Simpson spent three seasons as the quarterbacks coach for the Gamecocks before going to Texas State as the quarterbacks coach in 2000. After three years with the Bobcats, Simpson coached at Tennessee-Chattanooga from 2003-05 before becoming the head coach at UT Martin in 2006.
Alvin Parker completed his sixth year leading his alma mater and turned in one of the best seasons in school history. Virginia Union went 10-2, won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title and appeared in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Parker has a 39-13 overall record at VUU with two straight appearances in the Division II playoffs. A former running back for the Panthers, Parker began his coaching career at Virginia Union in 1999 as an offensive assistant. He coached running backs for two years, then became the offensive coordinator for the 2003 season. Parker moved on to Elizabeth City State in 2004 and spent 12 years as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. In 2016, Parker became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at St. Augustine’s before returning to VUU in 2018.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
