EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. — Shawn Gibbs stood behind the microphone at his first weekly press conference as head coach of North Carolina A&T, the nation’s largest HBCU, setting the tone for the season. It is one that he believes is about much more than wins and losses.
The once-powerful HBCU program won just two games over the past two seasons under former head coach Vincent Brown Sr.
Enter Gibbs, who is returning to a program where he spent over a decade as an assistant. His mission is to rebuild Aggie football on a foundation of faith, family, and tradition — while restoring North Carolina A&T’s reputation as one of the premier programs in HBCU football.
“My priorities for the players are simple: God, family, academics, and football — in that order,” Gibbs said. “Football is not who we are, it’s what we do. If you can focus on those four things, and keep them your priorities, you can get a lot out of this game.”
That cultural reset is deeply personal for Gibbs, who has deep HBCU roots. “This is the number one HBCU in the world,” he declared. “I’m a third-generation HBCU graduate myself, so this is my world. This is where I want to be.”
North Carolina A&T home coming for Gibbs
Though this is Gibbs’ first season as a head coach at North Carolina A&T, it is not his first time in Aggie blue and gold. He previously spent more than a decade on the A&T sideline, a tenure that included multiple championship runs. He left to get head coaching experience at Fort Valley State, a D2 HBCU with a rich tradition of its own. Returning now, he admitted, feels both familiar and larger than ever.
“This isn’t my first time as a head coach. This is my first time here,” Gibbs explained. “Everything is just on a bigger scale. I knew there was going to be a bigger stage, and more obligations from the press, but I was ready for it.”
The return has been seamless for his family as well.
“It’s been so great. Not only me, but my family,” Gibbs said. “My son is back in the elementary school he went to when I was here before. My wife never left her job here, so she’s back around all her friends. It’s been a smooth transition for all of us. We’re just blessed.”
A Call to the Aggie Nation
For Gibbs, restoring North Carolina A&T’s football tradition also means tapping into one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in HBCU athletics.
“We got the best fans in the world,” Gibbs said. “We travel, we’re loud. We need to make sure our stadium is second to none. We need students acting crazy at the games — in a good way. Making noise. Our fans are big. If we can improve, we’re going to make our alums happy and we’re going to get things back to where they need to be.”
That connection to community and culture, Gibbs said, is central to Aggie Pride.
“Aggie Pride is not just something that we say. It’s something you live each and every day. It’s about how you do anything in life. If we can be the best version of ourselves in the classroom and as people, then we’ll be the best football players too.”
Sharpe Anchors the Line
Offensive lineman Korrion Sharpe, one of the team captains, echoed his coach’s message about culture and accountability.
“I just follow what I see,” Sharpe said. “We got good leaders out here from the coaching standpoint. They tell us everything we need to know. Even off the field, it’s about being 15 minutes early, learning time management, being a better husband, a better brother, a better son. All that helps you be a better football player.”
Sharpe also addressed why he chose to stay at North Carolina A&T in an era when the transfer portal makes movement easy.
“I knew who he was under and I knew what they stood for. I knew Coach Gibbs is a great man — first of all. You know — that helps with everything. If they’re a great man, they gotta be a great coach. Well, that’s not necessarily true — but Coach Gibbs is a great coach.”
New Coach Provides Inspiration
Defensive back Aaron Harris, also a captain, enters the season on the Deacon Jones Watch List as one of the top defensive backs in HBCU football. But Harris was quick to turn the spotlight on his team’s collective identity.
“Our mentality is simple — we gotta hit you in the mouth,” Harris said. “We want to be physical. That’s how we separate ourselves, by being the defense that flies to the ball and makes you feel us every play.”
Helping instill that “Aggie Pride” for Harris is defensive backs coach Tony McRae. The former NC A&T star and NFL veteran joined the staff this spring from rival North Carolina Central. Harris is happy to be under his wing.
Being able to learn from him — it’s almost like nothing he says is wrong. Everything is true. It’s facts. So you have to really listen to everything. Internalize it. But it’s been great.
Facing Tennessee State
The Aggies open the season at Tennessee State, another HBCU program under new leadership after the Eddie George era ended this summer. Gibbs acknowledged the challenge of preparing for an opponent with so many unknowns, but reiterated that the key would be adaptability.
“I don’t think week one is primarily about game plan. It’s about the adjustments,” Gibbs said in preparing for Reggie Barlow’s TSU squad. “We’ve watched film from the USFL, XFL, Virginia State, Alabama State — just to get an idea of what they might do. But ultimately, it’s going to be about who can make those in-game adjustments.”
For Gibbs, Saturday’s opener is the first step toward proving that North Carolina A&T can again be the national standard for HBCU football. “We’ve got to do our part,” he said. “We’re blessed to be here, and now it’s time to show the world what Aggie Pride is all about.”
AGGIE BORN AGGIE BRED AND WHEN I DIE ILL BE AGGIE DEAD – ALL DAY EVERYDAY! C/O ’96
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For eons, those Overconfident, self-absorbed, and cocky, and arrogant Aggies have escaped with bloody murder in thinking over barringly too extremely highly about themselves and that they’re the Alpha of all things created and produced throughout any general elements and genres from fine arts, and literary arts to performing arts, so that sense of eternal and universal supremacy that they believed that only an Aggie could orbit being dimmed is no technical difficulties, but a change of the winds, as the legal books may define this shocking change ” An Act of MAN ” as a result from being constantly the target by the majority of people that attend and have attended to bully, and suppress the overall totality of critical emotional and mental damages that they were encouraged to engage, oh well, but I am counting on distant future assaults against me the more anywhere and anytime, and when they come for offense I will be humbly be waiting in the shower of their judgement casted wrongfully unto me with my flamethrowers at bay, metaphorically speaking, but don’t think that just because I always seem outnumbered, that your stunts, and daily planning to destroy me is undetected under my radar, I am vastly very much more aware of any plans, blueprint , setup, or systems that these University students and faculty and staff will try to organize and orchestrate to completely obliterate my very own voice, image, styles, credits, and anything that pertains or resembles, or is attached to me or my name in everyway possibly, ” I’ve Got My Eyes On You ” Always!!