N.C. Central coach Trei Oliver.

February 4 officially was National Signing Day, but the 24-hour sports cycle makes it more a promotional event than any revealing information.

For North Carolina Central, the player recruits take a slight backseat to the recruiting class head coach Trei Oliver assembled on his coaching staff.

Head coaches are only as good as their staff, and players are only as good as the assistant coaches assigned to their unit. It’s a brotherhood, a camaraderie that is part coach, part mentor and part disciplinarian.

Oliver had to refill several positions left vacant by “mo’ money” or ineptitude.

The biggest shocker was the departure of offensive coordinator Matt Leone to Tennessee State after five seasons. Leone gave the Eagles bigger and better wings to fly on offense.

Since their 2022 Celebration Bowl season, the Eagles have averaged over 30 points and 400-plus total yards per game.

Despite what Eagle Nation consider a subpar 8-4 season, Leone still helped quarterback Walker Harris receive the 2025 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Tennessee State may be in financial straits, but Leone didn’t come cheap. Head coach Reggie Barlow got a rude welcoming to the Ohio Valley Conference in his first season. The Tigers finished 2-10 and 0-8 in the OVC. This after former coach Eddie George led the team to a share of the OVC championship and a trip to the FCS playoffs, which – by the way – knocked NCCU out of the running.

The way athletics directors are pulling the plug these days, Barlow has one more year to get it right despite a five-year deal. Can’t let fans drink the winning Kool-Aid and then send them back to tap water.

New NCCU OC Chris Barnette helped put Alabama State in the running for a SWAC championship. The Hornets averaged over 42 points and 460 yards of offense per game. Sound familiar, Eagles? A loss to Celebration Bowl runner-up Prairie View A&M kept them out of the championship.

Barnette also has coached at South Carolina State, Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T.

Can he keep NCCU’s offensive machine percolating? All eyes will be watching.

And not far behind Barnette in the spotlight is new defensive coordinator/safeties coach Tommy Thigpen who replaces former DC Jesse Thompson.

Thigpen was a star linebacker at North Carolina and recent co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach for five seasons until Bill Belichick and his girlfriend arrived. He coached in the UFL last season.

NCCU’s defense uncharacteristically broke down at critical times last season with miscues and undisciplined penalties. And who can forget Delaware State going for it on fourth down inside its OWN 30-yard line – and converting? If that’s not a slap in the face, what is?

The Hillside High alumni community would never forgive me for not mentioning the hiring of former director of track and field Omar Beasley. The NCCU alumnus put the Hornets on the national and international map. Beasley was an assistant coach at North Carolina Wesleyan before becoming  NCCU’s director of speed development.

The stakes have been raised in the MEAC, and defense is the star.

Defense is what got South Carolina State to two straight trips to Atlanta. And defense is the catalyst to dethroning the Bulldogs.

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