A 2014 National Champion as the Offensive Coordinator at Ohio State, Warinner has five total seasons as a Division I assistant coach with 12 or more wins.

“We are looking forward to Coach Warinner joining our º£½ÇÖ±²¥ family as our new head football coach, and also as someone who brings a wealth of collegiate coaching experience at some of the finest academic institutions in the country,â€� said Athletic Director Shawn Summe. “His desire to see young men reach their full potential – not only on the football field but in all aspects of life – really showed throughout the interview process. Coach Warinner has been around some of the best minds in football and we look forward to having him share the lessons he has learned along the way!â€�

“My family and I would like to take this opportunity to thank º£½ÇÖ±²¥, Dr. Andy Jett, Shawn Summe, Curtis Burton and the hiring committee for this great opportunity to lead the football program into the future,â€� Warinner said. “I’m excited to work with the current players and the new players we bring in. I’m excited about the vision we have for taking this program to new heights and make our faculty, students and alumni proud of football at Avila.â€�

Warinner returns to the local area where he spent five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas, including three years as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, where he helped the Jayhawks win the 2008 Orange Bowl. Warinner was the architect of an offensive in Lawrence that averaged 479.8 yards per game, which still stands as the program’s record.

The 2007 Jayhawk offense that Warinner led still holds nearly every single-season total yardage, passing and scoring record in program history and the 12 wins in 2007 are a school record.

Following his time presiding over many of the best offensive seasons in Kansas history, Warinner took his talents to South Bend, where he spent two seasons as Notre Dame’s offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Warinner and the rest of the new coaching staff improved the program by five wins – including a victory in the Sun Bowl – in his first season.

With the Buckeyes, Warinner’s offenses set numerous school and conference record. The 2014 Ohio State offense put up 7,674 yards of total offense, a Big Ten record. Additionally, its 672 points scored are the second-highest single-season total in Big Ten history, trailing only Minnesota’s record set in 1904.

In three of his six years at OSU, Warinner’s offense led the conference in total offense and scoring offense. Additionally, Warinner coached three Big Ten Offensive Players of the Year in Braxton Miller (twice) and Ezekiel Elliot as the Offensive Coordinator. Offensive linemen Taylor Decker and Pat Elflein were both selected as consensus All Americans under his tutelage.

One year before the National Championship season of 2014, Warinner’s Buckeye rushing offense put up the second-most yards in a single season in Big Ten history.

No stranger to the Midwest, Warinner has spent 13 seasons in the Big Ten and in his five decades spent at the Division I coaching level, Warinner has had stops at Michigan State, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida Atlantic and 15 years at the service academies, including 13 seasons as an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy West Point and three seasons at the Air Force Academy.

At Army and Air Force, Warinner helped produce a rushing offense that led the NCAA in five different seasons.

In total, Warinner has two College Football Playoff Appearances, 18 bowl trips, six Big Ten rushing titles to his name and has developed more than 25 players to the NFL since 2010.

Throughout his coaching career, Warinner has worked alongside Jim Harbaugh, Brian Kelly, Mark Mangino, Ron Zook, and College Football Hall of Famers Urban Meyer and Jim Young.

A Mount Union graduate, Warinner also holds a Master’s degree in sports administration from the University of Akron. Originally from Strasburg, Ohio, Warinner and his wife, Mary Beth, have three children and two grandchildren. Warinner’s two daughter’s live in the Kansas City area and his son is the current safeties coach at Indiana State.

Avila will open the 2026 season at home against McPherson on August 29 at The Z.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥: Kansas City’s Only College Football Program

Built for Kansas City, Powered by Avila

“We are very excited to welcome Derrick back to º£½ÇÖ±²¥ as our head football coach,” º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Director of Athletics Shawn Summe said.  “Derrick has the personality, work ethic, and football knowledge to continue to grow our football program, but more importantly is committed to helping our football players grow off the field as much as on the field. Derrick really impressed everyone he spent time with at Avila with his genuine approach to coaching and leading young men.”

“I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be a head coach,” Alexander said. “I have so many things that I want to do, but I know it’s going to take time. I am ready to get to work!” 

A , Alexander was selected in the first round of the 1994 National Football League draft by the Cleveland Browns. He spent a decade in the highest level of professional football, including four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

In 2000, Alexander was awarded the team’s Derrick Thomas Most Valuable Player Award and nominated for the NFL’s prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. During his first two seasons with the Chiefs, he formed the “Derrick Alexander Foundationâ€� supporting Solace House, and raised more than $100,000 through his “Catch and Careâ€� program.

Even after the conclusion of his playing career, Alexander has stayed closely connected to Kansas City, where his family has resided for more than two decades. Alexander has been part of the since 2009 and was selected for the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship for three straight years, which enabled him to ply his trade as an assistant coach during training camp.

Alexander joined the coaching staff at º£½ÇÖ±²¥ in 2016 as an assistant coach and pass game coordinator. In his three seasons at Avila, he also served as the wide receivers coach, academic coordinator, and director of football operations.

Alexander returns to Avila after spending the 2022 season at Wayne State University in his hometown of Detroit, following three seasons at NCAA Division I Morgan State University in Baltimore. Alexander takes over an Avila football program that has won two KCAC championships in three seasons and, in 2022, won a program record of ten games, qualifying for the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time in team history.

“In my final season as an assistant at Avila, we were 7-3, which was the best record in school history (at the time). I am fortunate to be taking over a team that has just won the conference and made its first playoff appearance. I am looking forward to keeping the momentum going,” Alexander said. 

Avila football will begin the Alexander era on August 26, 2023, against Bethany College before their first home game on September 2, 2023.

For more information: Sports Information Director Tim Hackett (timothy.hackett@avila.edu/919-333-7072).

• #15 / 116lbs.  , 
• #17 / 109lbs.  
• #19 / 184lbs.  

In addition, the ³¾±ğ²Ô’s and wo³¾±ğ²Ô’s teams received in the NAIA rankings as the Eagles prepare for their second season.

Avila head coach Graham Karwath begins his second season with the vast majority of the athletes who finished fifth at the KCAC Championships, including all seven conference placers from last winter: , , , , , , and .

“I’m really just blessed to be part of a program at a school like Avila, which has been supportive of our program,” Karwath said at KCAC Men’s Wrestling Virtual Media Day. “Now we get to implement some things. We have some returners that know the ropes. It’s good. Hopefully, we can become a well-oiled machine here and continue to build on the little things that we’re doing and do things the right way.”

Karwath highlighted a pair of newcomers as probable impact contributors in the middleweights for Avila this year at Media Day. Grain Valley, Missouri native enters his first year as an Eagle after qualifying for Nationals twice at Neosho County Community College. Two-time Missouri high school state champion joins the Eagles after starting his college career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

National-ranked Daryus Webb was Avila’s lone preseason-ranked wrestler last year, helping the team get on the national map before they even took the mat in their inaugural season. Webb didn’t get the opportunity to wrestle much in his first season in Kansas City, but his pedigree and track record from his days at Williams Baptist University, plus the potential he’s shown as an Eagle, helped him earn the #19 ranking at 184 heading into 2022.

On the women’s side, several key returners are back, but there are many new faces for Associate Head Coach Zach Revier, who is also the director of the women’s program. Former Arkansas state champ headlines a freshman class that also includes , , and .

“Collectively, they’ve all taken really great strides this year,” Revier said at KCAC Women’s Wrestling Virtual Media Day this week. “The girls are working really hard, both on and off the mat. I believe they all have the ability to do well in all areas here at º£½ÇÖ±²¥.”

National-ranked Zoey Mzeru and Markayla Lottie, are the team’s top two returners. Mzeru placed fourth at the KCAC conference in March and now enters the 2022 season with a national ranking of #17 at 109.

Lottie had an outstanding freshman campaign, winning MVP accolades from the team and Freshman of the Year honors from the department. She was the first Eagle to win KCAC Wrestler of the Week twice; was the first to defeat a wrestler in the Top 15; was the first to win an open tournament, and was the first to win a pair of matches at Nationals in March. Lottie enters the 2022 season ranked #15 in the nation at 116. Jessica Miller and also return to Avila, with Mondragon being one of the three Eagles to win a match at Nationals last year.