GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T head football coach Rod Broadway made changes to his staff during the offseason.
Broadway named Chip Hester as the new offensive coordinator. Hester replaces Rickey Bustle, who served as the Aggies offensive coordinator for two seasons (2013-14). Broadway has also announced the hiring of Christopher Barnette to serve as the new Aggies quarterbacks coach.
Hester served as the Aggies wide receivers coach in 2014 where Aggie receivers and will continue in that role along with his offensive playing-calling responsibilities.
Aggie receivers combined to make 175 catches for 1,900 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2014. It was the most receptions in a single season for any Aggie team in history and the most receiving yards compiled in four seasons.
Before coming to A&T, Hester spent 18 seasons at Division II Catawba College. For the first seven seasons he was the Indians passing game coordinator and receivers coach. Over the next 11, he served as the program's head coach, winning 59 percent of his games.
“Chip has been with us, and I thought he did a good job with our receivers,” said Broadway. “Hopefully we can be a lot more productive offensively than we have been in the past. We decided to go in a different direction and become more explosive with the number of weapons we have.”
Barnette comes to A&T after spending the last seven seasons at nearby Division III Guilford College as an assistant coach. Over the past four seasons, Barnette served as the Quakers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Quakers threw for at least 2,300 yards in each of Barnette's four seasons as offensive coordinator.
In the spring of 2008, Barnette served as the offensive coordinator for the Elancourt Templiers of the French Elite League. The team went 9-3 and reached the league championship game. Barnette also starred at wide receiver for GC over four seasons, earning All-American honors over his final two (2005 & '06).
He led Guilford's pass-catchers in each of his four years and was the Quakers' first ODAC Offensive Player of the Year. Barnette played in the 2006 East Coast Bowl and Aztec Bowl senior all-star games. The Semora, N.C., native was an all-conference receiver and quarterback at Person High School for coach Mark Lunsford. His brother, Jamie, quarterbacked North Carolina State University from 1994-99.
He started at GC as a student assistant in 2007 and graduated with a degree in sports management in 2007 from Guilford.
“I think Chris is a really young football coach who can bring a lot of different ideas to us,” said Broadway. “Hopefully we can implement some of those ideas, and he can help us as far as getting our quarterbacks coached up. We have got to have better decision-making at that position.”
The Aggies begin spring practice Monday, March 23. The annual Blue-Gold Spring Game is scheduled for April 18 at Aggie Stadium. A time has not been determined.
