With spring football approaching, North Carolina Central head coach Trei Oliver has reshaped his staff with a blend of internal promotions and new hires. The Eagles’ staff changes for 2025 feature a mix of assistants with FBS, FCS and NFL experience, adding depth and expertise to the sidelines.
Jesse Thompson has been promoted to defensive coordinator. He joined the NCCU staff last season as safeties coach after a stint as Mississippi Valley State’s defensive coordinator in 2023. Thompson also has coached at Northern Arizona.
North Carolina Central defensive backs proved ballhawks a season ago with Thompson overseeing that unit, picking off 13 passes, second best in the MEAC. Defensive back Malcolm Reed made nine pass breakups.
Thompson replaces Courtney Coard, who joined Shawn Gibbs’ new staff at North Carolina A&T.
Michael Sewell will move into Thompson’s old role as safeties coach. He returns to the NCCU staff after being a defensive assistant at Miami (OH) a year ago. Sewell worked with NC Central’s safeties in 2022 and 2023, mentoring Khalil Baker, the 2022 MEAC defensive player of the year.
Mack Brown’s defensive line coach at UNC the past five seasons, Tim Cross, will move campuses from Chapel Hill to Durham to take the same role with the Eagles. Cross also has coaching stops at Texas, Syracuse, Minnesota and Air Force over his 20 years. Per NCCU sports information, Cross has mentored 56 players who went on to the NFL.
Charles Bankins will oversee the North Carolina Central running backs room. Bankins comes to the Eagles after one season at NC A&T. His resume includes more than 25 years of coaching experience, from a stop with the St. Louis Rams of the NFL to college positions at Charlotte, Maryland, Memphis, Vanderbilt, Old Dominion, Richmond and Hampton.
One of Bankins’ first chores will be to find the new RB1 for North Carolina Central. Last season’s workhorse, 1,000-yard back J’Mari Taylor has transferred to Virginia.
Macander Dieudonne fills out the final vacancy on the Central staff. He will coach the offensive line after spending the past two seasons as a senior offensive analyst at Coastal Carolina. Dieudonne also has coached at Utah State, Benedict, Southern and Webber International.
Bankins and Dieudonne will fill roles held by Cedric Williams and Kevin Maurice a year ago. Both Williams and Maurice joined James Colzie’s staff at Florida A&M.
Oliver, NCCU Ready For Signing Day 2025
Wednesday, Feb. 5 is National Signing Day in college football, and Oliver and staff have planned an event for media, fans and friends of the program at 6 p.m. in the NCCU Law School’s Great Hall.
The event will feature a look back at the 2024 campaign, which saw the Eagles finish 8-3, 4-1 in the MEAC, and will introduce new staff and announce incoming players.
Oliver is gearing up for his sixth season at the helm of the North Carolina Central program. He has a 37-21 record, including 19-9 against MEAC foes.
The Signing Day event will be livestreamed on NCCU football’s Facebook page.
NC Central has not released its full 2025 football schedule yet and spring game information is also TBA. We do know the Eagles will open the season Aug. 23 in Atlanta against Southern and also will play New Hampshire, North Carolina A&T, Old Dominion and East Texas A&M in the non-conference.
Visit and bookmark the NCCU Eagles’ schedule page, which will be updated with a complete schedule once it is released and game results once the season starts.
