Bio

Derrick Alexander begins his third season as Avila’s head football coach and his sixth season overall associated with the program in 2025-26.

The 2024 campaign gave Avila its second-consecutive four-win season. After winning the season opener, Avila ended the season with three-straight victories.

In addition to the team success, Avila had quite a few notable individual seasons in 2024. QB Eli Williams was KCAC Bissell Division Offensive Player of the Year after his 11-touchdown campaign and his 409 rushing yards led all quarterbacks in the Bissell division.

Additionally, Avila had five All-KCAC First Team selections and six Second Team honorees.

Avila football also had two members of its program selected as winners in the 2024 Avila Athletics End of Season Awards: Ishe Smith Jr., was named the Male Academic Athlete of the Year and Malik Ashford was recognized with the 2024 Leadership Award.

Alexander’s first year in charge saw the Eagles go 4-7, while winning three of the final four games of the season. Fourteen Avila players earned All-KCAC Honors following the 2023 season, including Second Team recognition for offensive lineman Cor’Darius Wright.

Prior to becoming Avila’s head coach, Alexander spent one season as the wide receivers coach at D-II Wayne State University and two seasons as the wide receivers and pass game coordinator at FCS Morgan State.

He began his coaching career as the wide receivers coach at D-III Wilmington in 2015 before spending the 2016-18 seasons as Avila’s wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator.

Alexander participated in the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity coaching fellowship with the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens from 2017-19.

A first-round selection in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Alexander played nine NFL seasons – including four with the Chiefs, two with the Ravens and one with the Minnesota Vikings. In 126 career games, Alexander recorded 417 receptions for 6,917 yards and 40 touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown and punt return score to his NFL resume.

A standout at the University of Michigan, Alexander amassed 27 total touchdowns during his time in Ann Arbor and led the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns as a junior. Alexander was a member of the 1993 Rose Bowl-winning Wolverines’ team.