Elon University Athletics

Follow Coach Vance on Twitter: @CVance43

Recruiting Areas:

• Western North Carolina, Asheville
• East Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, Birmingham
• Alabama, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania

Casey Vance joined the Phoenix in January of 2022 as inside linebackers coach after spending the previous six seasons assisting the defense at West Virginia. In five of those seasons, the Mountaineers played in a bowl game. He added the role of defensive run game coordinator for the 2024 season. In Feb. of 2025, Vance was named the program's defensive coordinator.
 
Vance’s unit helped Elon to a top 20 national ranking and the FCS playoffs in 2022. Elon ranked 19^th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 21.3 points per game. The defense was seventh in the country with 13 fumbles recovered and 21^st nationally in turnover margin. Elon also ranked 13^th in the country in sacks, recording as many as 11 in a 27-3 win over UAlbany. The defense posted the program’s first shutout in five years – a 26-0 win at Wofford, allowing just 128 yards of total offense.  
 
In 2023, Vance developed a young and inexperienced unit into one of the most promising in FCS Football. Redshirt freshmen Marco Patierno and Brandon Tyson each earned Freshman All-American recognition and Patierno was one of 22 players recognized on the midseason Jerry Rice Award Watch List as a candidate for national freshman of the year. The duo combined for 141 tackles and 14.0 for loss. They were critical cogs to helping Elon again rank among the top 25 in the country in turnover margin and quarterback sacks. Patierno returned a fumble for a touchdown in the season finale against Hampton.
 
The 2018 West Virginia team went 8-4 and played in the Camping World Bowl, while Vance helped the defense rank first in the Big 12 in takeaways per game and tackles for loss per game. The squad was also second in the conference in opponent’s third down conversion percentage.
 
The defense continued to develop and the 2020 squad ranked fourth nationally in total defense, allowing 291 yards per game. That mark included the country’s No. 1 ranked pass defense, giving up just 159 yards per contest.
 
As a graduate assistant with West Virginia during the 2016 season, the Mountaineers ranked No. 10 nationally in turnovers forced, first in the Big 12 in pass efficiency defense and second in the conference in scoring defense.
 
Prior to his time in Morgantown, W. Va., Vance was a defensive graduate assistant at Kentucky in 2015. He also served a short stint as a linebackers coach at Notre Dame College (Ohio) in the spring and summer of 2015. He broke into the coaching profession as a defensive graduate assistant at Arizona, serving in that capacity in 2013 and 2014. The 2014 squad went 10-4, won the PAC-12 South Division and received an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl. He coached linebacker Scooby Wright, who was the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year as well as the recipient of the Bednarik, Nagurski and Lombardi Awards.
 
Vance is a two-time graduate of West Virginia, earning his bachelor’s degree in 2011 and his master’s degree in 2013. As a linebacker with the Mountaineers, his squads compiled a 48-17 record, won three Big East championships, and won both the 2008 Fiesta Bowl and the 2012 Orange Bowl. He was a two-time All-Big East Academic Team honoree.
 
Vance is married to Keba and the couple has a daughter, Laken.
 

Coaching Experience
2013-14	Defensive Graduate Assistant for Linebackers, Arizona
2015	Linebackers, Notre Dame (Ohio)
2015	Defensive Graduate Assistant for Linebackers, Kentucky
2016	Defensive Graduate Assistant for Linebackers, West Virginia
2017-21	Defensive Analyst, West Virginia
2022-23	Inside Linebackers, Elon
2024	Inside Linebackers, Defensive Run Game Coordinator, Elon
2025-present	Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers, Elon