Prairie View A&M University Athletics

Trent Earley enters his second season at Prairie View A&M, serving as the Associate Head Coach, Co-Defensive Coordinator, and Linebacker Coach after an offseason promotion from Assistant Head Coach. A respected defensive strategist with experience across the FBS, FCS, and Division II levels, Earley has built a reputation for developing fundamentally sound defenses, producing standout Linebackers and Defensive Linemen, and contributing to multiple championship-caliber programs.

The Panthers saw one of the best seasons in program history in Earley’s first year in 2025, enough to make Earley a finalist for FootballScoop’s 2025 FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Year, alongside Defensive Coordinator Brandon Andersen. The 2025 team won the SWAC Championship for the first time since 2009, won 10 games for the first time since 1963 (the Panthers were an NAIA team at the time), and finished 1st nationally in Passing Yards Allowed, 3rd nationally in Total Defense and Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 4th nationally in Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense, 7th in Scoring Defense, 12th in Fumbles Recovered, 23rd in Turnovers Gained, 31st in First Downs Defense, and 37th in Rushing Defense.

Earley joined Prairie View A&M after helping lead Valdosta State to one of the nation's top defensive turnarounds, which earned him and Defensive Coordinator Brandon Andersen a nod as Finalists for the 2024 FootballScoop Division II Defensive Coordinator of the Year award. Led by AFCA Division II National Coach of the Year Tremaine Jackson, the 2024 team finished as National Championship Runners-Up, ended the regular season undefeated and ranked #1 in the nation in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll, and won the GSC Championship. The 2024 team was also the first team in program history to post three shutouts in one season, and Coach Earley would finish the year as Interim Head Coach after Coach Jackson took the PVAMU Head Coach position in December 2024.

The 2023 Blazers won the GSC Championship, reached the Division II Playoffs Quarterfinals, and finished ranked #8 nationally in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll.

During his tenure (Assistant Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker Coach in 2024 and Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Linebacker Coach in 2023 and 2022), Valdosta State's defense ranked among the nation's best, allowing just 13 points per game while producing several of the team's leading tacklers, sack leaders, and takeaway producers. He also helped engineer dramatic improvements on special teams, with the Blazers finishing among the national leaders in punting and kickoff returns: the team went from 102nd nationally in Punting in 2022 to 4th nationally in 2023, while checking in at 26th nationally in kickoff returns in 2023, improving from 44th in 2022.

Before Valdosta State, Earley spent two seasons at Colorado Mesa (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach in 2021 and Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach in 2020), helping the Mavericks post a combined 10-3 record over two years (including the shortened COVID-19 season), while continuing to establish himself as one of the top rising defensive coaches in college football. The 2021 team finished 8-2 and entered the AFCA Coaches Poll Top 25 for the first time since 2018–as well as D2Football.com’s Top 25–after defeating a top 5 team in the nation for the first time in program history. The 2021 team finished 4th nationally in Yards Per Play Allowed, 10th nationally in Total Defense, 11th nationally in Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 13th nationally in Scoring Defense.

During the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, the program had the best winning percentage in the state of Colorado at any level of NCAA football with a 2-1 record, while holding opposing teams to just 12.7 Points Per Game and 80 Rush Yards Per Game.

His coaching résumé also includes time at the University of South Florida, where he served as a Defensive Analyst in 2019 and 2018 after working as a Graduate Assistant with the Defensive Line in 2017. The Bulls finished 9th nationally in Turnovers Forced in 2019. Earley served as the on-field DL Coach for the 2018 Gasparilla Bowl, and he helped the 2017 Bulls win the Birmingham Bowl while coaching 1st Team All-AAC selection Deadrin Senat and 2nd Team All-AAC selection Bruce Hector.

Earlier in his career, Earley was a Graduate Assistant at the University of Texas in 2016 and 2015, assisting Linebackers Coach Brian Jean-Mary and working with All-American and Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Malik Jefferson, along with All-Big 12 Linebacker Peter Jinkens.

He also gained valuable experience during a short stint the University of North Texas as Special Teams Quality Control in early 2015, after spending the 2014 season with Northwestern State as Assistant Linebackers Coach, where the team finished 3rd nationally in Turnovers Gained, 4th in the Southland Conference in Total Defense, and coached 1st Team All-Southland selection Marion Chapman. 

Serving as Outside Linebackers Coach, Safeties Coach, and Assistant Recruiting Coordinator at Oklahoma Baptist in 2013, the team finished 1st nationally in Sacks Per Game and 2nd nationally in Total Sacks.

A former collegiate Linebacker, Earley played at Texas Southern before finishing his career at Southern Arkansas, where he was part of one of the nation's top defensive units. He began his coaching career at his Alma mater as a Graduate Assistant (2013) and Student Assistant (2012), helping Southern Arkansas to an 8-3 season in 2012 while working with the Defensive Line and Linebackers. 

Earley earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management from Southern Arkansas in 2012 and later completed a Master's Degree in Physical Education with a specialization in Teacher Education from the University of Texas in 2017.

Earley lives in Houston with his wife Erin and his daughter Haevyn.