Courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics
NASHVILLE — Matt Leone has joined the Tennessee State football coaching staff as offensive coordinator for the 2026 season, bringing a proven track record of developing high-powered offenses at the FCS and NAIA levels.
Leone comes to TSU after serving as offensive coordinator at North Carolina Central University, where he helped engineer one of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s most productive offenses. During the 2025 campaign, the Eagles averaged 33.75 points and 420.9 total yards per game, scoring 30 or more points in eight contests. Quarterback Walker Harris flourished under Leone’s direction, earning MEAC Offensive Player of the Year honors after becoming the program’s single-season passing leader with 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns. Harris became just the second quarterback in NCCU history to surpass 3,000 passing yards in a season. NCCU also placed four players on the All-MEAC team.
Leone joined the NCCU staff in January 2020 after spending four seasons at Southern University. Over the past several seasons, the Eagles established themselves as one of the MEAC’s most consistent offensive units. In 2024, NCCU led the league in scoring offense (35.5 points per game) and ranked second in total offense (405.7 yards per game), while also finishing first in rushing offense and second in passing offense. Running back J’Mari Taylor earned First Team All-MEAC honors after becoming the sixth Eagle to record a 1,000-yard rushing season, and offensive lineman Trevon Humphrey also garnered first-team recognition.
During the 2023 season, NCCU posted a 9-3 record and remained in the MEAC title race while averaging a conference-best 35.8 points and 372.3 yards per game. The Eagles led the league in passing offense behind two-time MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Davius Richard.
In 2022, Leone’s offense powered NCCU to a 10-2 record, a share of the MEAC championship and a berth in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The Eagles led the conference in scoring (38.6 ppg), total offense (445.3 ypg), passing (234.8 ypg) and rushing (210.8 ypg). Five offensive players earned First Team All-MEAC honors, including Offensive Lineman of the Year Robert Mitchell. That season, NCCU scored at least 40 points seven times, including three 50-point performances.
Before his tenure at NCCU, Leone spent four seasons at Southern University, where he helped lead the Jaguars to back-to-back SWAC West Division championships in 2018 and 2019. Southern averaged 32.8 points and 403.5 total yards per game in 2019, and led the SWAC in pass efficiency in 2018. Earlier, Leone coached the school’s all-time leading passer, Austin Howard, and helped guide a 2016 Jaguars offense that ranked fifth nationally in FCS scoring at 39.8 points per game while totaling 5,191 yards and 54 touchdowns.
Leone began his coaching career at his alma mater, Webber International University, where he spent nine seasons and served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for five years. Under his direction, Webber produced the most productive offenses in program history, including a 2015 unit that ranked fifth nationally in rushing offense and a 2014 team that won the program’s first conference title and finished ranked No. 23 in the NAIA coaches poll.
A former four-year letterman quarterback at Webber, Leone earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2007 and an MBA in sport business management in 2009. Since 2013, he has been actively involved as a volunteer with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Youth for Christ.
