N.C. A&T officially announces Rod Broadway's retirement, Sam Washington named new head coach

GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T head football coach Rod Broadway announced his retirement from coaching on Monday.

Assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary coach Sam Washington will take over the program as the 19th head football coach in N.C. A&T history. Aggie Athletics will hold an 11 a.m., press conference at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center (200 N. Benbow Road, Greensboro) on Tuesday, January 9 that will feature Broadway, Washington and N.C. A&T Director of Collegiate Athletics, Earl M. Hilton III.

Broadway retries after seven seasons as the Aggies football coach. He will serve as a special assistant to the athletics director for the next six months. Broadway recently led N.C. A&T to its best season ever, finishing 12-0 with accolades that included winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title, the Celebration Bowl game and the HBCU national championship. In the process, the Aggies broke the school and conference records for wins and became the first MEAC and HBCU Division I-AA team ever to finish undefeated and untied.

In 15 seasons as a head coach, Broadway amassed a 127-45 (.738) record with four HBCU titles and six conference championships. Yesterday, his .737 winning percentage was the best winning percentage among active FCS coaches. In the history of FCS play, Broadway has the third-highest winning percentage. Broadway spent four seasons apiece at North Carolina Central (2003-06) and Grambling State (2007-10).

“I am grateful to this great and historic university, North Carolina A&T State, for the opportunity to be its head football coach for seven years,” said Broadway. “I am grateful to two men I hold in high esteem, chancellor Martin and athletics director Earl Hilton, for believing in me and the direction I wanted to take this program. I am grateful to the players, they have made this a wonderful experience for me and my family.

I am grateful to what I consider a great coaching staff. They have conducted themselves with the upmost integrity and professionalism. And I am grateful to the very hardworking support staff we have here at North Carolina A&T.”

“I love the man not only for what he has accomplished during his time as our head football coach at North Carolina A&T, but also for who he is as a person,” said Hilton. “While we are losing one of the greatest coaches of all time, I love that he gets to go out on his own terms, a luxury not afforded to most coaches. He took our football program from being the laughing stock of the (Football Championship Subdivision) to being the envy of black college football and one of the premier programs on the FCS level. He did it with class and intelligence. He held everyone within his program to the highest standards of accountable. Rod’s work ethic is unmatched. I will miss him as a colleague but will always consider him a friend and a confidant.”

Hilton on head coach Sam Washington: “Coach Washington holds many of the same characteristics as coach Broadway. We have believed for some time that coach Washington has the skills, temperament and leadership qualities to be a collegiate head coach. We are confident the trajectory of the football program will remain on a winning path with coach Washington at the helm. We are eager to see him do well in a position he richly deserves.”

Under Washington’s leadership as the Aggies defensive coordinator for seven seasons, the Aggies have consistently produced one of the best defenses in the nation. The Aggies have been the MEAC’s No. 1 total defense and scoring defense four times in the past seven years. They have had the No. 1 total defense in the conference three straight seasons. N.C. A&T has also had the No. 1 rush defense in the conference six times in seven years. Nationally, the Aggies defense has never ranked lower than 20th under Washington including a No. 4 ranking in 2017. The Aggies had the nation’s best run defense in 2012.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve under coach Broadway both at Grambling State and North Carolina A&T,” said Washington. “I could not ask for a better friend and mentor than Rod Broadway. What I saw him accomplish at North Carolina A&T is nothing less than remarkable. Following a legend is never easy, but coach Broadway has taught me so much over the years, I am poised to continue having success in Aggieland. I want to thank chancellor Martin and Mr. Hilton for what is an awesome opportunity for me and my family. Our coaching staff will stay intact for the most part, so we are ready to get to work.”

Broadway’s N.C. A&T accomplishments

Broadway finished his career at N.C. A&T 59-22 (.728) overall and 41-15 (.621) in the MEAC. He has the best winning percentage of any N.C. A&T football coach in history. He is second all-time in wins.
A third of the Aggies nine MEAC championships have come under Broadway. The Aggies three conference titles under Broadway have occurred in the last four years.
N.C. A&T won two HBCU national championships under Broadway (2015, 2017).
The Aggies were 33-5 overall and 26-3 in the MEAC at Aggie Stadium in Broadway’s seven years as head coach. The Aggies have won 10 straight at home.
The Aggies had two 10-plus win seasons under Broadway. No other coach in school history had more than one.
Broadway had four 9-plus win seasons which ties coach Bill Hayes for the most in school history.
Broadway led the Aggies to a 7-0 homecoming record during his tenure. He was also 4-3 against North Carolina Central.
The Aggies had four straight 9-plus win seasons (2014-17) under Broadway.
Broadway beat four ranked FCS teams, two FBS schools and one school in transition to FBS play during his seven-year tenure.
The Aggies scored 30-plus points 39 times and 40-plus points 19 times under Broadway.
N.C. A&T has spent 37 straight weeks in the NCAA FCS national coaches poll. They have been a part of the BoxToRow Black College Football poll 59 straight weeks. They were ranked No. 1 in 38 of those polls. The Aggies were ranked in the SBN Black College Football poll 57 straight weeks with a No. 1 ranking 33 of those weeks.
The Aggies won 46 straight games when leading at halftime under Broadway and were 53-1 when leading at halftime during his era. They were 52-2 when leading after the third quarter.
Over seven years, the Aggies have had 67 All-MEAC recognitions including 36 first-team recognitions. Forty-seven different players have earned some type of All-MEAC recognition. Thirty different players have earned first-team All-MEAC honors. In 2017, N.C. A&T had a school-record 12 first-team All-MEAC selections.
A N.C. A&T player has been named offensive player of the year in the MEAC four straight years. Five players have been named offensive player of the year in the MEAC under Broadway. The Aggies have had the conference’s offensive lineman of the year (Brandon Parker) three straight years. Two players (Tarik Cohen and Elijah Bell) were named rookie of the year under Broadway.
Fifteen different players have earned some type of All-American recognition under Broadway including four Associated Press All-Americans (Brandon Parker, Tarik Cohen, Khris Gardin and Franklin (Mac) McCain III).
Nathan Isles, William Ray Robinson, Wallace Miles, Mike Mayhew, Tarik Cohen, Deji Olatoye, and Tony McRae have all had NFL opportunities under Broadway. Brandon Parker is expected to be drafted in 2018.