EAST GREENSBORO, NC — If you’ve followed North Carolina A&T football this season, one thing has been consistent: head coach Shawn Gibbs has been candid about the state of his program. From his first Monday press conference, Gibbs has spoken with a mix of conviction and transparency about where A&T is, where it needs to go, and what it will take to get there.But this Monday, in the buildup to Homecoming at North Carolina A&T, the tone was noticeably different.
Following last week’s viral clip — when Gibbs spoke passionately about his team’s focus and even mentioned NBA Youngboy while challenging his players’ toughness — the coach came to the podium more measured. His message was still accountability, energy, and growth, but the delivery was deliberate. The passion was there; the pacing was different.
From Builder To Balancer
Gibbs was hired to rebuild North Carolina A&T football, not just to coach it. His job is to restore belief, discipline, and a standard that’s been missing in recent years. He’s never shied away from that reality.Over the past few months, his honesty has been refreshing — even necessary. A&T’s football program has talent but has lacked consistency, and Gibbs has been intentional about confronting that truth head-on. His words apparently ruffled some feathers while getting a sizeable bit of amens.
Short Answers, Big Implications
This week, that awareness showed. The press conference was more businesslike, quieter, and shorter. I asked Gibbs about his familiarity with South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry, and his response was brief — “He’s a good coach.”In fact, many of his answers to the media, including mine, were shorter than usual. That’s atypical for Gibbs, who’s often expansive and thoughtful. It’s likely not a coincidence after last week’s entertaining yet slightly polarizing comments.
HBCU Gameday was invited to collaborate with Yahoo Sports on a post of the viral clip last week. While most people applauded Gibbs’ honesty, there was a minority of people who felt that the commentary might be offensive to the players. However, the two players that accompanied Gibbs on Monday — freshman Tyler Howard and grad student Wesley Graves — both that showed they not only understood Gibbs’ message from last week but they embraced it.
GHOE and the bigger picture
This all unfolded during the week of GHOE — self-proclaimed the Greatest Homecoming on Earth — a time when emotions, attention, and expectations in Greensboro are at their peak…