Seven Head Coaches Named To The AFCA Board Of Trustees
March 24, 2025
Trinity University head coach Jerheme Urban, Western Colorado University head coach Jas Bains, Liberty University head coach Jamey Chadwell, Army West Point head coach Jeff Monken, Western Michigan University head coach Lance Taylor, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee have been named to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Urban will be a Division III representative, Bains will be a Division II representative, Chadwell will represent Conference USA, Monken will represent the American Athletic Conference, Taylor will represent the Mid-American Conference, Sitake will be a second Big 12 Conference representative, and Lashlee will be a second Atlantic Coast Conference 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 2025 president Bobby Hauck of the University of Montana, first vice-president Jim Catanzaro of Lake Forest College, second vice-president Steve Ryan of Morningside University and third vice-president James Franklin of Penn State University.
Also serving on the Board in 2025 are: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt University; Jay Norvell, Colorado State University; Jason Simpson, University of Tennessee-Martin; Alvin Parker, Virginia Union University; Bret Bielema, University of Illinois; Chris Klieman, Kansas State University; Tony Elliott, University of Virginia; Charles Huff, University of Southern Mississippi; Brent Venables, University of Oklahoma; Grant Newsome, University of Michigan, 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.
Urban has been the head coach at Trinity (Tex.) since 2014. He has an overall record of 79-30 in his 11 seasons and has led the Tigers to five Southern Athletic Association titles, including the last four straight. Urban guided Trinity to an 8-3 record in 2024 with an appearance in the Division III playoffs. He has led the Tigers to four straight NCAA post-season appearances, making it to the second round in 2022 and 2023. Urban is a two-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year winner in 2021 and 2023 and he also spent nine seasons in the NFL as a receiver with the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs.
Bains completed his 14th season as head coach at Western Colorado by leading the Mountaineers to an 11-2 overall mark, a second-place finish in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2024. He was named the 2024 RMAC Coach of the Year, giving him three in the last four years. Bains has won 65 games overall, but since the Covid-19 pandemic year of 2020, he has guided Western Colorado to records of 10-2 (2021), 7-4 (2022), 10-2 (2023) and the aforementioned 11-2 season. His 2021 team won a share of the RMAC title for the first time since 1998 earning him AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors.
Chadwell has been a head coach for 15 years with the last two at Liberty. The Flames went 8-4 in 2024 with an appearance in the Bahamas Bowl. In his first season at Liberty, Chadwell led the Flames to a 13-1 record, the Conference USA title and the program’s first New Year’s Six bowl, where they faced Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. He spent five seasons at Coastal Carolina, guiding the Chanticleers to three bowl games and two Sun Belt Conference championships. Chadwell began his head coaching career at North Greenville in 2009, taking the Crusaders to an 11-3 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs in his final season. After one season at Delta State in 2012, Chadwell became the head coach at Charleston Southern for four years. He guided the Buccaneers to two Big South Conference titles and two appearances in the FCS playoffs. Chadwell is a two-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honoree.
Monken finished his 11th season at Army by leading the Black Knights to the American Athletic Conference title in the program’s first year in the league. Army finished with a 12-2 overall record and a victory in the Independence Bowl earning Monken his second AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors. Monken is 82-57 at Army and 120-73 overall when you include his four seasons as head coach at Georgia Southern. He has led the Black Knights to six bowl games, winning five of them. Monken guided Georgia Southern to two Southern Conference titles and three straight trips to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs from 2010-2012. He earned his first AFCA Regional honor at Georgia Southern in 2011.
Taylor just finished his second season as a head coach at Western Michigan, taking the Broncos to the Salute to Veterans Bowl. He started his coaching career in 2007 as a graduate assistant at Alabama. Taylor spent the 2009 season as wide receivers coach at Appalachian State, then worked for the New York Jets for three years and the Carolina Panthers for one season before returning to college football in 2014 as the running backs coach at Stanford. Taylor returned to the Panthers as wide receivers coach in 2017, then moved on as running backs coach at Notre Dame in 2019. He would stay with the Fighting Irish for three years, then became the offensive coordinator at Louisville in 2022 before taking the head coaching job at Western Michigan.
Sitake completed his ninth season as the head coach at BYU and led the Cougars to an 11-2 overall record and a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 Conference at the end of the regular season. BYU won the Alamo Bowl, which is the Cougars seventh bowl game appearance under Sitake, and he earned his first AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honor in 2024. The former BYU fullback began his coaching career at Eastern Arizona in 2001, then returned to BYU as a graduate assistant in 2002. He spent two seasons at Southern Utah coaching various positions, then joined the Utah staff in 2005 as linebackers coach. Sitake spent 10 years at Utah, finishing as associate head coach and defensive coordinator before moving to Oregon State in 2015 in the same roles. He was named head coach at BYU on December 19, 2015.
Lashlee has spent three seasons as the head coach at SMU. In 2024, he guided the Mustangs to an 11-3 record and the program’s first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. SMU also made an appearance in the ACC championship game after going 8-0 in conference play during their inaugural season in the conference. That remarkable season came on the heels of another 11-win season in 2023 when SMU won the American Athletic Conference title by going 11-3 overall and 8-0 in conference action. He has an overall record of 29-12 in his three years as a head coach.
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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Trinity University head coach Jerheme Urban, Western Colorado University head coach Jas Bains, Liberty University head coach Jamey Chadwell, Army West Point head coach Jeff Monken, Western Michigan University head coach Lance Taylor, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee have been named to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Urban will be a Division III representative, Bains will be a Division II representative, Chadwell will represent Conference USA, Monken will represent the American Athletic Conference, Taylor will represent the Mid-American Conference, Sitake will be a second Big 12 Conference representative, and Lashlee will be a second Atlantic Coast Conference 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 2025 president Bobby Hauck of the University of Montana, first vice-president Jim Catanzaro of Lake Forest College, second vice-president Steve Ryan of Morningside University and third vice-president James Franklin of Penn State University.
Also serving on the Board in 2025 are: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt University; Jay Norvell, Colorado State University; Jason Simpson, University of Tennessee-Martin; Alvin Parker, Virginia Union University; Bret Bielema, University of Illinois; Chris Klieman, Kansas State University; Tony Elliott, University of Virginia; Charles Huff, University of Southern Mississippi; Brent Venables, University of Oklahoma; Grant Newsome, University of Michigan, 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.
Urban has been the head coach at Trinity (Tex.) since 2014. He has an overall record of 79-30 in his 11 seasons and has led the Tigers to five Southern Athletic Association titles, including the last four straight. Urban guided Trinity to an 8-3 record in 2024 with an appearance in the Division III playoffs. He has led the Tigers to four straight NCAA post-season appearances, making it to the second round in 2022 and 2023. Urban is a two-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year winner in 2021 and 2023 and he also spent nine seasons in the NFL as a receiver with the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs.
Bains completed his 14th season as head coach at Western Colorado by leading the Mountaineers to an 11-2 overall mark, a second-place finish in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2024. He was named the 2024 RMAC Coach of the Year, giving him three in the last four years. Bains has won 65 games overall, but since the Covid-19 pandemic year of 2020, he has guided Western Colorado to records of 10-2 (2021), 7-4 (2022), 10-2 (2023) and the aforementioned 11-2 season. His 2021 team won a share of the RMAC title for the first time since 1998 earning him AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors.
Chadwell has been a head coach for 15 years with the last two at Liberty. The Flames went 8-4 in 2024 with an appearance in the Bahamas Bowl. In his first season at Liberty, Chadwell led the Flames to a 13-1 record, the Conference USA title and the program’s first New Year’s Six bowl, where they faced Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. He spent five seasons at Coastal Carolina, guiding the Chanticleers to three bowl games and two Sun Belt Conference championships. Chadwell began his head coaching career at North Greenville in 2009, taking the Crusaders to an 11-3 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs in his final season. After one season at Delta State in 2012, Chadwell became the head coach at Charleston Southern for four years. He guided the Buccaneers to two Big South Conference titles and two appearances in the FCS playoffs. Chadwell is a two-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honoree.
Monken finished his 11th season at Army by leading the Black Knights to the American Athletic Conference title in the program’s first year in the league. Army finished with a 12-2 overall record and a victory in the Independence Bowl earning Monken his second AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors. Monken is 82-57 at Army and 120-73 overall when you include his four seasons as head coach at Georgia Southern. He has led the Black Knights to six bowl games, winning five of them. Monken guided Georgia Southern to two Southern Conference titles and three straight trips to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs from 2010-2012. He earned his first AFCA Regional honor at Georgia Southern in 2011.
Taylor just finished his second season as a head coach at Western Michigan, taking the Broncos to the Salute to Veterans Bowl. He started his coaching career in 2007 as a graduate assistant at Alabama. Taylor spent the 2009 season as wide receivers coach at Appalachian State, then worked for the New York Jets for three years and the Carolina Panthers for one season before returning to college football in 2014 as the running backs coach at Stanford. Taylor returned to the Panthers as wide receivers coach in 2017, then moved on as running backs coach at Notre Dame in 2019. He would stay with the Fighting Irish for three years, then became the offensive coordinator at Louisville in 2022 before taking the head coaching job at Western Michigan.
Sitake completed his ninth season as the head coach at BYU and led the Cougars to an 11-2 overall record and a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 Conference at the end of the regular season. BYU won the Alamo Bowl, which is the Cougars seventh bowl game appearance under Sitake, and he earned his first AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honor in 2024. The former BYU fullback began his coaching career at Eastern Arizona in 2001, then returned to BYU as a graduate assistant in 2002. He spent two seasons at Southern Utah coaching various positions, then joined the Utah staff in 2005 as linebackers coach. Sitake spent 10 years at Utah, finishing as associate head coach and defensive coordinator before moving to Oregon State in 2015 in the same roles. He was named head coach at BYU on December 19, 2015.
Lashlee has spent three seasons as the head coach at SMU. In 2024, he guided the Mustangs to an 11-3 record and the program’s first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. SMU also made an appearance in the ACC championship game after going 8-0 in conference play during their inaugural season in the conference. That remarkable season came on the heels of another 11-win season in 2023 when SMU won the American Athletic Conference title by going 11-3 overall and 8-0 in conference action. He has an overall record of 29-12 in his three years as a head coach.
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.
