North Carolina A&T

North Carolina A&T head football coach Shawn Gibbs named Courtney Coard the Aggies' assistant head/defensive line coach on January 13, 2025.

Coard brings a passionate football mind shaped by a standout career at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and years of substantial coaching experience across multiple Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs.

As an assistant coach, has been a part of five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships, four Celebration Bowl wins, and four black college national championships.

Coard returned to Aggieland after spending four seasons (2011-14) as North Carolina A&T’s defensive line coach. He departed A&T for one season in 2015 to become a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Georgia, then returned in 2016 to resume his duties as the Aggies’ defensive line coach.

During his time at A&T, the Aggies won three Celebration Bowls and captured three black college football national championships, including three straight titles from 2017-19. The Aggies have also won four MEAC championships during Coard’s time with the university. In 2018, he was named co-defensive coordinator, sharing the duties with head coach Sam Washington.

In that role, the Aggies dominated on defense. They ranked No. 3 in FCS football in total defense, then sixth the following season. Over those same two seasons, they also had the No. 1 defense in the MEAC and the league’s No. 1 rushing defense.

His first stint with the Aggies was not different. Coard came to Aggieland and became instrumental in constructing one of the best defensive eras in program history. During his first season at A&T in 2011, the Aggies ranked seventh nationally in rushing defense. In 2012, A&T’s rushing defense ranked second nationally while the Aggies ranked third nationwide in total defense.

By 2013, the Aggies had the No. 1 rushing defense in FCS football. Over his previous two stints at A&T, the defense finished outside the top 20 nationally only three times. A&T’s defensive line under Coard wasn’t only about stopping the run; it was also strong against the pass.

That showed in the pass rush, as the Aggies ranked 23rd in sacks in 2013, ninth in 2014, 10th in 2016, ninth in 2017, and seventh in 2019. Under Coard’s leadership, Devin Harrell and Jermaine McDaniel had career seasons at the two defensive end spots in 2019. Both finished among the top five in sacks in the MEAC.

In 2018, defensive end Darryl Johnson, Jr., earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Year. The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Defensive tackle Marquis Ragland and defensive end Angelo Keyes became All-MEAC performers under Coard.

Coard left A&T after the 2021 season, returning to his alma mater, NCCU, in March 2022. He served as the Eagles' defensive coordinator and defensive line coach from 2022-24. The Eagles had the second-ranked defense and the second-best scoring defense in the MEAC in 2022. That same season, the Eagles won 10 games, shared the MEAC title, won the Celebration Bowl, and claimed the black college football national title.  

Also in his first season, Coard had the privilege of serving as the defensive coordinator for MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Baker. In 2023, three Eagles defensive players secured first-team All-MEAC accolades. The Eagles went 27-8 overall and 12-3 in the MEAC during Coard’s tenure there.Before coming to A&T in 2011, Coard coached defensive ends and assisted with defensive tackles at Grambling under head coach Rod Broadway.

He worked with defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Cliff Yoshida from 2009-10, helping the defensive line produce 7.8 tackles for loss per game. That allowed the Tigers to rank 15th nationally in tackles for loss. Before he arrived at Grambling, Coard served as the defensive line coach at his high school alma mater, Charlotte Independence. As a player at Independence, Coard helped the Patriots win four straight state championships.

Coard was a four-year starter at defensive tackle at NCCU (2004-07) under Broadway. His presence helped the Eagles win consecutive CIAA titles in 2005 and ‘06. In 2004, he was named to the CIAA’s All-Rookie Team. Academically, Coard earned a B.A. degree in business management in 2008.

Two years later, he received an M.S. degree in sports administration from Grambling.