Coach Bryce Chavis is in his third season on the Hornet coaching staff as receiver coach and passing game coordinator. In a very short time, Chavis has had a big impact on Hornet football.
The 2025 season saw Chavis coach Malik O’Atis and Kingsley Bennett to All-MIAA First-Team and All-MIAA Third-Team honors, respectively.
In 2024, Chavis coached Tyler Kahmann to arguably the finest season by a pass catcher in Emporia State history as Kahmann caught 100 passes for 1,488 and 20 touchdowns, earning an impressive list of honors:
- Unanimous All-MIAA First-Team
- D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First-Team
- American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First-Team All-American
- Associated Press First-Team All-American
- Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) First-Team All-American
- Don Hansen First-Team All-American
- Walter Camp First-Team All-American
- D2Football.com First-Team All-American
- College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District
- College Sports Communicators (CSC) First-Team Academic All-American
- Named Ken B. Jones Award winner as the top male student-athlete in the MIAA
Kahmann went on to sign a free agent contract with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and is currently a rookie of the year candidate with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
Chavis also coached Trenden Collins to All-MIAA Third-Team honors as Collins caught 76 passes for 791 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2024.
Chavis comes to Emporia State from McPherson College where he coached from 2020 to 2023. Chavis coached running backs in 2020 before being promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2021 to 2023 seasons. Chavis also served as Co-Special Team Coordinator. During his tenure at McPherson, Chavis helped lead McPherson to its first winning season in ten years and coached fifteen players to all conference honors and one to an NAIA All-American selection.
Chavis began his coaching career at his alma mater, Washburn where he served as a graduate assistant for the 2017 through 2019 seasons. During his tenure, Chavis coached receivers and running backs and coached four players to All-MIAA honors and one player to an All-American selection.
As a student athlete, Chavis attended Butler County Community College where he was a member of a conference championship team in 2103. Chavis finished his playing career at Washburn where he earned All-MIAA recognition 2015 and 2016.
Chavis earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a master’s degree in business administration from Washburn.
Chavis and his wife Shambrey are the parents of a daughter, Gianna.
