Austin Peay State University Football

Jeff Faris enters his second season as Austin Peay's head football coach after being named the 22nd head coach in program history on Dec. 9, 2023. A Knoxville, Tennessee native with over a dozen years of Division I experience at the FBS level, Faris spent two seasons as the tight ends coach for head coach Chip Kelly at UCLA. Before his time in Los Angeles, he was on head coach David Cutcliffe's coaching staff at Duke, where he was named the 2018 American Football Coaches Association's FBS Assistant Coach of the Year. By the end of his 10 seasons in Durham, North Carolina, Faris had become the Blue Devils' co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Faris helped return the Blue Devils to national prominence as they reached six bowl games and won the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl, the 2017 Quick Lane Bowl, and the 2018 Independence Bowl. At UCLA, Faris helped guide the Bruins to the 2022 Sun Bowl and the 2023 LA Bowl. Faris is a three-time Duke graduate, earning his bachelor's degree in economics in 2011 before earning a master's degree in economics in 2012 and a second master's degree in Christian Studies in 2014.

Antonio Bradford is in his second season, after joining Jeff Faris' inaugural coaching staff in Aug. 2024. Bradford served as the Governors' run-game coordinator and running backs coach during the 2024 season, and added offensive tackles to his coaching responsibilities for 2025. Bradford, who spent the 2021 season as the Governors' tight ends coach, comes from South Alabama, where he served in the same position under Jaguars' head coach Kane Wommack. Before his first season in Clarksville, Bradford spent six seasons at Tennessee State under Rod Reed, where he coached tight ends, offensive tackles, and was the Tigers' run-game coordinator. Bradford began his coaching career at his alma mater, Alabama State, where he finished his tenure as the program's associate head coach. Bradford graduated from Alabama State with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2005 and later earned a master's degree in general counseling.

Ben Thaw is in his first season as the Governors' safeties coach after joining Jeff Faris' staff in March 2025. Prior to joining the Governors, Thaw was a linebackers coach at Lehigh for two seasons. Before his time in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, he served in various roles on Wake Forest's coaching staff, including a graduate assistant for linebackers and defensive backs, a defensive quality control coach, and a recruiting intern. Thaw earned a bachelor's in government from Wesleyan University in 2020 and earned a master's in liberal art studies from Wake Forest in 2023. A four-year letterwinner at Wesleyan University, Thaw appeared in 31 games, totaling 100 tackles and 11 interceptions throughout his collegiate career. Was a First Team All-New England and All-East Region selection as a senior with 33 tackles, five interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and two blocked kicks.

Brandon Williams is in his second season as the Governors' linebackers coach after joining Jeff Faris' inaugural coaching staff in Jan. 2024. Before coming to Clarksville, Williams spent six seasons as Hampton's linebackers coach. Before his time at Hampton, he worked on the sidelines of his alma mater, East Carolina, as a graduate assistant and a defensive quality control aide. He played four seasons at East Carolina and made over 200 tackles in 41 appearances as a linebacker for the Pirates. Williams graduated from East Carolina in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

Lucas Reed is in his first season as the Governors' special teams coordinator after joining Jeff Faris' coaching staff in Jan. 2025. Reed comes to Clarksville from Rice, where he spent the previous seven seasons and, most recently, was the Owls' tight ends coach during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Reed was a four-year letterwinner and three-year team captain as a quarterback at Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Reed graduated from Ouachita Baptist with bachelor's degrees in accounting and finance in 2017.

Michael Gehl is in his third year at Austin Peay and second as the Governors' offensive line coach. Gehl previously served as the Governors' assistant offensive line coach during their 2023 United Athletic Conference Championship season. Before joining the Governors, Gehl worked as an assistant coach at Gallatin High School in 2022, where he coached the Green Wave's cornerbacks. Before starting his coaching career, Gehl was a tight end at Wheaton College for five seasons and served on the Thunder's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Gehl earned his bachelor's degree in economics with a minor in communication from Wheaton College in Dec. 2021.

Nevin De Graaf joined Jeff Faris’ staff as a defensive quality control coach in July 2025. De Graaf comes to Clarksville from Roosevelt University, where he was

Quinn Billerman is in his second season as the Governors' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, after joining Jeff Faris' inaugural coaching staff in Dec. 2023. Before joining the Governors, Billerman spent one season as the quarterbacks coach at Jackson State. Prior to his time at JSU, he served as a graduate assistant at Duke for two seasons and an offensive quality control coach at Rice for three seasons. Billerman began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, North Carolina Central. A Raleigh, North Carolina native, Billerman helped coach a pair of teams to bowl games, with Duke earning a bid to the 2022 Military Bowl and NC Central earning a bid to the 2016 Celebration Bowl. Billerman began his playing career at New Mexico Military Institute before transferring to NC Central, where he helped the Eagles win back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in 2014 and 2015. Billerman earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina Central in 2015.