After two disappointing seasons in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) conference under head coach Vincent Brown and two consecutive one-win seasons, the N.C. A&T Aggies have decided to part ways with him.
“Today, we have informed Vincent Brown that we are relieving him of his position as the head coach at North Carolina A&T State University effective immediately,” said Athletic Director Earl M. Hilton III in an official statement. “We want to thank Coach Brown for his significant contributions to A&T.”
Brown was hired for his first head coaching job on Jan. 6, 2023, after previously being the defensive coordinator at William & Mary. Hilton thought he had found the next head coach to keep the Aggies football program at the top of HBCU football, signing him to a five-year contract at 365k per year.
In his two years taking over the program, Brown led the Aggies to a 2-21 record and no conference wins. The only wins came against HBCU foes and former MEAC opponents, Norfolk State in 2023, 28-26, and Winston-Salem State, 27-20, in 2024.
After the last game of the season, a 31-21 loss to Elon, Brown addressed his job security at A&T.
“There’s not many places where you get a chance to have a one-win season and retain your job,” Brown said. “ But I am not worried about that. I’m focused on building this program, focused on recruiting in the crop of players. I’m going to give A&T everything I have until A&T tells me I’m not wanted anymore.”
Over Brown’s two seasons, he has had the worst winning percentage for a minimum of two seasons in A&T history. In those two seasons, the Aggies ranked in the bottom half of the conference in most offensive and defensive statistics. This year, the Aggies ranked last in total offense and defense, scoring only 15.6 points per game while giving up 38 points a game.
This year, A&T suffered blowout losses to a few HBCU rivals. In-state rival N.C. Central routed them 66-24 in the Aggie Eagle Classic, S.C. State humbled the Aggies 45-25, and the Hampton Pirates spoiled the homecoming game with a 59-17 beatdown.
Brown took to X to express his gratitude for the opportunity, while reflecting on his short time at A&T.
A reported recent push to remove Brown as the head coach from boosters of A&T was made a few days before the removal of his position. No university officials have announced future plans for the position.
