Jerel Chavis begins his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Young Harris College men's basketball program.
The Mountain Lions finished the 2024-2025 campaign with a 21-9 (.700) record, recording a berth in the Conference Carolinas Quarterfinals. Chavis helped lead the program to its best season since the 2011-2012 season (.846). Carl Cleveland (First Team), Karl Chavis (Second Team) and Cameron Bleshoy (All-Defensive Team) were awarded with All-Conference honors. Cleveland was named the Conference Carolinas Scholar Athlete of the Year.
From 2023-2024, Chavis and the Mountain Lions finished 17-12 overall with a 11-7 conference record. In Young Harris' Conference Carolinas debut, the Mountain Lions made a name for themselves. Players Carl Cleveland and Morgan Rashed were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Carl Clevelnad was named the Comeback Athlete of the Year and was put on the All-Conference First Team of Confernce Carolinas.
Chavis helped lead the Mountain Lions to a 19-10 record in 2022-2023. The 19 wins are second most in a season in Young Harris Men's Basketball history. YHC was ranked as high as No. 18 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II rankings and No. 22 in the D2SIDA Division II Media Poll. Both were the first time the Mountain Lions had been nationally ranked in program history. For the second year in a row Young Harris earned the NABC Team Academic Award and had six payers (Carter Berish, Carl Cleveland, Eden Davis, Josh Petteno, Christian Schach, and Kennedy Willis) named to the NABC Honors Court. Two players (Karl Chavis and Lenny Pradia) earned All-PBC honors and Petteno earned the PBC Elite 16 Award.
Chavis came to the Enchanted Valley after a season as the director of player development at NCAA Division I's Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Prior to working with the Governors, Chavis played overseas for 12 years which took him to far-flung locales from Australia, Estonia, Singapore, Slovakia, Italy, Austria and Indonesia, among other stops.
Chavis played at Aiken Community College and Delaware State University where he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology before embarking on his professional career.
Chavis and his wife Megan has one son, Jaxan.
updated 07.22.25
