AIC Hires Edward, Ritter-Truxal as Associate Head Coaches

05.15.2026College Women, College Men

AIC women and men will have Associate Head Coaches work under DOR Jameson Bonti.

Author: GRR Staff

American International College Director of Rugby Jameson Bonti has announced that Levi Edwards will be the Associate Head Men’s Rugby Coach, and in addition, one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of AIC, Annekkia Ritter-Truxal, will remain at her alma mater as Associate Head Women’s Rugby Coach.

Edwards will assist in all aspects of the Men's program.

“Levi is an outstanding addition to our program," said Bonti. "His experience across high-performance rugby environments, combined with his ability to build culture and develop student-athletes holistically, aligns perfectly with the direction we are taking this program. He is an exceptional teacher of the game, a strong relationship builder, and someone who understands the standards required to compete at a championship level."

AIC is coming off a 6-2 15s season last fall in which they narrowly missed the NCR playoffs, and then in 7s they finished 16th in a somewhat unlucky run, losing to eventual finalists Dartmouth in overtime after a potential game-winning try was called back.

"What excites me most about Levi is his ability to combine high-performance rugby knowledge with genuine investment in student-athlete development," continued Bonti. "He brings strong experience in performance analysis, tactical understanding, and culture building, but just as importantly, he understands how to build relationships and hold people to a high standard. We believe he will have an immediate impact on the daily environment within our men’s program and help continue pushing AIC Men's Rugby toward sustained national success. We are thrilled to welcome him to AIC and excited for the future of our men’s program with Levi on staff."

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join the AIC Rugby family as the next associate head coach of the men’s program," added Edward. "This is a tremendous opportunity to be part of a program with such a strong tradition and immense potential, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me. I’m especially excited to work alongside Director of Rugby, Jameson Bonti, as we continue building something special at AIC."

Most recently, Edwards served as the head coach of the Savannah Shamrocks club. Taking over in November 2024, he rebuilt the program and quickly turned it into a power, winning a Georgia state championship for the first time in team history, and with it earning the team’s first-ever Super Regional appearance.

He also worked with the Chester Rugby Union Football Club in the United Kingdom from September 2022 through June 2023 as the lead performance analyst and assistant coach, and before that he was an assistant coach with the Great Britain Lions National Program from July 2019 through June 2023.

Edwards holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology & sport and exercise science from the University of Chester earned in May of 2022, and a master’s in sport performance analysis from the same institution earned in September of 2023.

The only four-time national champion in AIC’s history, Ritter-Truxal was a starter from her freshman campaign in fall 2021, when the Yellow Jackets defeated West Chester University 29-17 in the NIRA Division II Championship for their first 15s title, through her final season in spring 2026, capping that with the program’s first-ever major 7s title as the Yellow Jackets dethroned three-time NCR CRC champion Brown University 24-7.

She spent the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons as the team’s captain, leading AIC to back-to-back NIRA Championships with a 20-15 win over Davenport University in 2023 and a 73-0 defeat of West Chester in 2024; AIC finished fourth and third at the CRC 7s Championships in spring 2024 and 2025, respectively.

AIC now moves into playing a NIRA DI schedule for the coming season.

“Nikki represents everything we want AIC Women’s Rugby to stand for," said Bonti. "She is one of the most decorated athletes in program history, but more importantly, she is an outstanding leader, mentor, and role model. Her understanding of our championship culture, student-athlete development, and the family identity of this program makes her an incredible addition to our staff and a major asset to the future of AIC Women's Rugby."

RitterTruxal's background in mental health counseling, student development, leadership, and athlete support sets her up nicely as an athlete menrot.

"I'm incredibly excited about the leadership, energy, and lasting impact she will have on AIC Women's Rugby,” said Bonti.

“This program has been my home for the past five years, and it’s shaped me into the person and leader I am today. Being able to step into this role means everything to me. AIC Women’s Rugby is more than just a team to me. This rugby community here at AIC is a family built on accountability, growth, and showing up for each other every day. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to give back and help lead and develop strong, confident women both on and off the field,” Ritter-Truxal added.