Jerel Chavis joined the men's basketball staff for the 2026-27 season after spending four years at Young Harris (Ga.).

Young Harris was 23-9 in 2025-26, with a primary reason being MSU recruit Justin Payne.

The Mountain Lions finished the 2024-2025 campaign with a 21-9 record. Chavis helped lead the program to its best season since the 2011-2012 season (.846). Carl Cleveland (First Team), Karl Chavis (Second Team) and Cameron Bleshoy (All-Defensive Team) were awarded with All-Conference honors. Cleveland was named the Conference Carolinas Scholar Athlete of the Year.

From 2023-2024, Chavis and the Mountain Lions finished 17-12 overall with a 11-7 conference record. In Young Harris' Conference Carolinas debut, the Mountain Lions made a name for themselves. Players Carl Cleveland and Morgan Rashed were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Carl Clevelnad was named the Comeback Athlete of the Year and was put on the All-Conference First Team of Conference Carolinas.

Chavis helped lead the Mountain Lions to a 19-10 record in 2022-23. YHC was ranked as high as No. 18 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II rankings and No. 22 in the D2SIDA Division II Media Poll. Both were the first time the Mountain Lions had been nationally ranked in program history. For the second year in a row Young Harris earned the NABC Team Academic Award and had six payers (Carter Berish, Carl Cleveland, Eden Davis, Josh Petteno, Christian Schach, and Kennedy Willis) named to the NABC Honors Court. Two players (Karl Chavis and Lenny Pradia) earned All-PBC honors and Petteno earned the PBC Elite 16 Award.

Chavis went to YHC after a season as the director of player development at Austin Peay. Prior to working with the Governors, Chavis played overseas for 12 years. which took him to Australia, Estonia, Singapore, Slovakia, Italy, Austria and Indonesia.

Chavis played at Aiken (S.C.) Community College and Delaware State, where he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology before embarking on his professional career.

Chavis and his wife Megan have one son, Jaxan.