image via North Carolina Central Football
Courtesy of N.C. Central Athletics
North Carolina Central University head football coach Trei Oliver has announced additions to his coaching staff heading into the 2025 season.
Jesse Thompson, who was the safeties coach in 2024, has been promoted to defensive coordinator. Thompson is no stranger to being a coordinator at the FCS level; prior to joining the Eagles in 2024, he was the defensive coordinator at Mississippi Valley State.
N.C. Central had 13 interceptions on defense last season, tied for the second most in the MEAC, and defensive back Malcolm Reed was second in the conference with nine pass breakups.
The new safeties coach in 2025 will be Michael Sewell, returning to the Maroon and Gray after spending 2024 as a defensive assistant at Miami University. Sewell was the Eagles’ safety coach in 2022 and 2023, winning a MEAC title and the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
In addition, defensive back Khalil Baker was the MEAC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
Charles Bankins will be the new running backs coach, joining the Eagles after one season at rival North Carolina A&T and two at Memphis. While special teams coordinator with the Tigers, Bankins won the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl over Utah State.
He comes to Durham with more than 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, with stops at Charlotte, Old Dominion, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Richmond and Hampton. He has also coached in the NFL, with the then-St. Louis Rams.
Tim Cross brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the Eagles, for whom he will serve as defensive line coach. He spent five seasons as defensive line coach in Chapel Hill under Hall of Fame head coach Mack Brown.
In his time at North Carolina, and before that stops at Air Force, Texas, Minnesota and Syracuse, Cross has helped develop 56 players who went on to play in the NFL.
Macander Dieudonne will be the Eagles’ offensive line coach. He spent the last two seasons as a senior offensive analyst with Coastal Carolina, coaching two all-conference linemen and producing one of the best blocking and rushing units in the Sun Belt Conference.
He has also coached at Utah State, Benedict College, Southern and his alma mater, Webber International University in Lake Wales, Fla.
