Football | 2/3/2026 3:05:00 PM

DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University head football coach Trei Oliver has announced five new coaches added to his staff for the 2026 season.

Chris Barnette joins the Eagles to serve as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He comes to Durham after serving two years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama State, where the Hornets produced one of the more potent offenses in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

In 2025, the Hornets averaged over 42 points and 462 yards of total offense per game.

Prior to his stint at Alabama State, Barnette coached wide receivers at South Carolina State. No stranger to HBCU football in the Carolinas, Barnette's coaching career also includes stops at Winston–Salem State and North Carolina A&T State.

Tommy Thigpen will be the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. A linebacker who starred at North Carolina before playing professionally for the New York Giants and the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe, Thigpen has a wealth of college coaching experience.

From 2019-24, Thigpen was on staff at his alma mater, serving as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He also has stops coaching at Tennessee, Auburn, Illinois and Bowling Green.

In 2025, Thigpen was the linebackers coach for the Arlington Renegades in the UFL.

Grayson Reed will join the Eagles as offensive line coach, where he'll oversee an offensive line that anchored the MEAC's top scoring offense (33.8 ppg) last season. In addition, the Eagles were second in the league in passing offense in 2025, and they led the conference with just 23 sacks allowed.

Reed comes to the Eagles from Los Angeles, where he was an offensive assistant for the University of Southern California (USC). With the Trojans, Reed worked primarily with the offensive line.

Prior to his time at USC, Reed was on staff at his alma mater, Texas A&M University, for three seasons.

Elijah Coleman will be the cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator, coming to Durham after serving three seasons on staff at Howard University. He joined the Bison coaching staff in 2023, after a successful playing career there, then was named cornerbacks coach for the 2025 season.

Coleman was a quality control coach for the Bison in 2023, when they won the MEAC title and advanced to the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

In addition, Omar Beasley will join the Eagles coaching staff as the Director of Speed Development. An NCCU alum and former track standout, Beasley brings with him over 30 years of experience coaching, and he is known for implementing data-driven sprint and performance model utilizing trending technologies.

Most recently, Beasley was an assistant track & field coach at North Carolina Wesleyan University. He was also once the Director of Track & Field at Hillside High School in Durham, one of the most decorated prep programs in the country.

NCCU went 8-4 overall and 3-2 in MEAC play in 2025. Oliver is entering his sixth season with the Eagles with a 45-25 record.

For more information on NCCU athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.