Demetrius Coley is in his fourth season as the defensive line coach and his third as the football program’s strength and conditioning coordinator at UVa-Wise.
Coley’s defensive front has ranked among the best in the league since his arrival. Last fall, UVa-Wise ranked third in the Mountain East Conference in total defense while ranking 19th nationally in total defense.
In 2017, the Cavs led the conference and ranked 11th nationally in sacks with 36. Defensive lineman Ben Funny collected seven of the sacks en route to All-MEC accolades.
Three years ago, Coley was part of a defensive coaching staff that ranked second in the MEC and set a program record for fewest rushing yards allowed per game at 100.1.
Coley came to UVa-Wise after spending the 2015 season as the running backs coach at Warren Central High School in Bowling Green, Ky.
A Bay Minette, Ala. native, Coley was a three-year starter at Western Kentucky University where he aided the team to its first bowl win in program history. The Big Red was bowl eligible for all four seasons during his career. Coley spent time at running back, fullback and tight end during his collegiate career.
Coley obtained a bachelor's degree in criminology from Western Kentucky in 2014.
