There’s been plenty of movement in HBCU football in preparation for the 2023 season. In January, North Carolina A&T announced Vincent Brown as its new head football coach. But as NC A&T welcomed Brown, they had to say farewell to its longtime offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Chris Barnette.
After four Celebration Bowl Championships, four MEAC Championships, and three FBS wins during his time at NC A&T, Chris Barnette has found a new home in HBCU football.
Per a report by David Horton of 24/7 sports, We’ve learned that Barnette has landed in bulldog country as the new wide receivers coach for South Carolina State.
Chris Barnette’s career with NC A&T
Chris Barnette first joined NC A&T in 2015 as the quarterback coach. In the summer of 2018, he was promoted to offensive coordinator while still maintaining his responsibilities with the qb position.
The Aggies were a dominant force on the field with Barnette at offensive coordinator. The Aggies ranked No. 1 in the MEAC in red zone offense during his first two years. Barnette continued to progress the offense forward. NC A&T was MEAC leader in rushing offense, scoring offense, and overall offense in 2019. The sixth-best scoring offense in the country was at A&T. Jah-Maine Martin, a running back, had one of the best seasons in school history. He set new records for rushing touchdowns (23) and total touchdowns in a single season (23).
On the quarterbacking end, Barnette’s players racked up numerous MEAC honors. One player, in particular, was Lamar Raynard. Since Connell Maynor in 1991, Lamar Raynard became the first Aggie quarterback to get the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Award. Raynard was also a finalist for the Deacon Jones Award; he accomplished this feat by breaking a number of single-season records, including the most passing yards, touchdown passes, completions, and attempts.
This move that it’s a new day for NC A&T football as they lose a prominent piece to their past success, but Barnette takes over a wide receiver group coaching position at South Carolina State. The University announced on Jan. 27 that South Carolina State will play an 11-game football schedule in the 2023 season including five home games and six road games.