Vance joined The Citadel football coaching staff as an assistant coach for bandits ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Previously, he served as the defensive coordinator / linebackers coach at Charleston Southern between 2017-2022.
The shortened 2020 season saw the CSU defense sit among the Big South’s best paced by five All-Conference selections. Cody Cline earned sophomore All-American recognition to highlight the Bucs, while Shaundre Mims earned first-team recognition for the second consecutive season. CSU finished among the national leaders in scoring defense and total defense, while three players finished among the FCS leaders in sacks and tackles for loss.
Vance’s defense continued its record-setting pace in the 2019 season as the Buccaneers recorded a Big South-high six First Team All-Conference selections, including Big South Defensive Freshman of the Year Cody Cline. The Bucs added a conference-record 35.0 sacks, while Shaundre Mims added a CSU record 10.0 sacks on the season. The Bucs’ ability to attack at the line of scrimmage led to CSU putting three players in the top-10 in the Big South in sacks, while four players ranked in the top-10 in tackles for loss.
Anton Williams finished seventh in FCS in tackles for loss per game (1.7) in the 2019 season, while Mims was 11th in the country in overall sacks. The Bucs had players ranked in the top-20 in FCS in forced fumbles, fumbles recovered, passes defended, sacks and tackles for loss.
Vance’s second season with the Buccaneers featured another stout defensive effort that held opponents under 300 total offensive yards on six different occasions, including a 198-yard effort against Gardner-Webb. Six different defensive players earned All-Conference recognition in 2018, including All-Americans James Allen and Solomon Brown. The Bucs were third in the country in defensive touchdowns (5), 22nd in total defense (324.7 ypg), and fourth in passing yards allowed (139.4 ypg).
In his first season with the Bucs, Vance helmed a defensive unit ranked 18th in the FCS in total defense at 311.5 yards per game. CSU ranked in the top 30 in both passing (185.4, 26th) and rushing (126.2, 29th) on the season to continue their trend of being among the nation’s best defensive teams. CSU also was adept at the line of scrimmage finishing 10th in the country with 3.09 sacks per game and 17th with 7.5 tackles for loss per game.
Under his tutelage, Anthony Ellis continued to standout in earning Big South Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season, while Johnny Robinson (DT) and Solomon Brown (DE) joined Ellis on the Big South All-Conference First Team. Linebackers J.D. Sosebee and Zane Cruz joined cornerback Shadarius Hopkins on the All-Conference Second Team.
Vance came to CSU after spending four seasons as the assistant head coach at New Mexico State. During his tenure with the Aggies, Vance served as special teams coordinator and defensive coordinator while also working with defensive ends and linebackers.
Under Vance’s leadership in 2015, New Mexico State amassed 914 tackles with 56 tackles for loss. The Aggies also recorded 15 sacks, which tripled the team’s five sacks from 2014. Additionally, the team grabbed 12 interceptions and forced nine fumbles. With Vance’s guidance, Jaden Wright was selected as the Sun Belt Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Georgia State on Sept. 12. Wright led the Aggies with 12 tackles, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and an interception.
In 2014, Vance coached Rodney Butler to a career-high and team-best 119 tackles. This earned the linebacker third-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors from Phil Steele.
Vance coached the inside linebackers in 2013 and assisted with kickoff return and kickoff coverage teams. Under his guidance, inside linebacker Trashaun Nixon was named to the All-Independence Team in 2013. Nixon was second with 93 tackles and had a team-leading 13 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Vance was the head coach at The Master’s Academy in Oviedo, Fla., in 2012 where he guided his team to a 9-3 record and the Sunshine State Athletic Conference championship. In 2011, he was an assistant at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in Stow, Ohio, coaching the linebackers and serving as special teams coordinator.
Vance spent seven seasons with the Golden Flashes of Kent State after joining the coaching staff as the inside linebackers coach prior to the 2004 season. Vance also served as Kent State’s recruiting coordinator for two seasons, while handling special teams coordinator duties and working with the tight ends. Vance’s 2009 signing class was rated 62nd in the country by Rivals.com, which was the top ranking in the Mid-American Conference and the highest in the history of the program.
In his role as linebackers coach, he mentored Derek Burrell to a pair of All-MAC honors after he posted 112 and 119 tackles in back-to-back seasons. Vance came to Kent State following eight years as the special teams coordinator, linebackers and fullbacks coach with the Dobyns-Bennett HS football team in Kingsport, Tenn. During his tenure at Dobyns-Bennett from 1996-03, the team captured the Big East Conference title in seven of eight seasons.
Prior to his time at Dobyns-Bennett, Vance served as head coach of the Unicoi County HS football team in Erwin, Tenn. from 1993-95, where he led his team to the playoffs for the first time in fifteen years. Vance began his coaching career at his alma mater, ETSU, where he acted as the defensive line coach from 1987-91 and coached two future NFL players.
Vance was a letterwinner at ETSU in 1984 and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1986. He continued his education at Austin Peay State University, where he earned a master’s degree in health and physical education.
He and his wife Debbie have five sons, Nate, Taylor, Isaac, Seth and Luke.
