While Division II HBCU football is well-known for its exciting, hard-hitting action, not enough credit is given to the coaches who put their team in a position to compete at a high level even beyond their given conferences.
Here are the 10 best that stand out among the crop.
10. Cedric Pearl, Allen
The head coaching ranks in Division II HBCU football are a bit top-heavy, with the coaches toward the bottom of this list having yet to prove themselves.
So we begin with Allen head coach Cedric Pearl, who has shown great promise to begin his tenure at Allen. After posting a 2-8 overall record in his first season with the Yellow Jackets, Pearl improved the team to 6-5 in 2025.
However, with reigning SIAC Overall Player of the Year Fabian Duncan having transferred to Johnson C. Smith, Pearl and the Yellow Jackets will be starting from square one in 2026.
9. Adrian Jones, Elizabeth City State
In his first season as head coach at Elizabeth City State, Adrian Jones did something that had not been done in over a decade.
Coming to ECSU after a nine-year stint at Shaw, Jones led the Vikings to a 4-3 conference record, marking the first time the team has been above .500 in conference play since 2013.
While contending for a championship in a top-heavy CIAA is a bit far-fetched, the future could be bright for the Vikings if they continue on this trajectory.
8. Brian Jenkins Sr., Edward Waters
Another coach who had a strong first season in his new gig is Brian Jenkins Jr., who guided Edward Waters to a surprisingly promising season despite unlikely circumstances.
Known for his five-season tenure as head coach at Bethune-Cookman from 2010-2014, during which he led the team to the FCS Playoffs three times, Jenkins was named interim head coach at Edward Waters following the sudden departure of Toriano Morgan prior to the start of the 2025 season.
Despite operating on short notice, the Tigers overachieved with a 5-5 record, including a 3-0 start highlighted by a win over the then-reigning CIAA champion Virginia Union.
With a full offseason for recruiting and spring training as head coach, the prospect of Jenkins turning EWU into a contender as early as this season is highly probable.
7. Sean Gilbert, Livingstone
Since taking over as head coach at Livingstone in 2020, Sean Gilbert has transformed the Blue Bears from a non-factor to a fringe contender in the CIAA.
Beginning his tenure with a 1-8 season, Gilbert has led the Blue Bears to at least four wins in each of the last four seasons, Livingstone’s longest such streak since 1999.
This includes a 5-5 record in 2025, marking the first time Livingstone has finished at or above .500 in consecutive seasons in a decade.
6. Felton Huggins, Kentucky State
Despite a strong 2025 season in which he led Kentucky State to its first Division II playoff appearance in school history, Felton ranks outside the top five because he does not have the same consistency as the coaches ahead of him.
The Thorobreds’ playoff berth coincides with a season in which they finished with a 9-3 record, the most they’ve had in a year since 1935.
Considering Coach Huggins has improved in each of his first three seasons, Kentucky State is on a natural progression to becoming the number one team in the SIAC.
5. Dr. Henry Frazier, Virginia State
While the Trojans’ 2025 campaign was a minor setback compared to Dr. Henry Frazier’s first four seasons as head coach, it is a sign of how good the team has been compared to their competitors.
The Trojans’ 6-4 record extended Coach Frazier’s streak of winning seasons to four since taking over the program in 2022.
This includes a 2024 season in which he guided Virginia State to its first CIAA championship appearance since 2017.
In what is sure to be a wide-open CIAA championship race this upcoming season, it is a strong possibility that Coach Frazier will have the Trojans in the mix at the top of the conference.
4. Ron Dickerson, Benedict
Two seasons after moving on from Chennis Berry, Benedict’s timeline back into the championship picture was sped up, due in large part to the efforts of head coach Ron Dickerson.
Taking over for a team that had won two straight SIAC championships, Dickerson built on what was a solid first season in which he finished 4-6 by posting a 10-3 record.
He helped lead Benedict back to the SIAC championship game and helped the team overcome a 24-point deficit to win their first Division II playoff game in school history.
Considering Benedict will be the favorites to win the SIAC this season, Dickerson’s resume could lead to him climbing up the Division II coaches’ power rankings this time next year.
3. Maurice Flowers, Johnson C. Smith
The 2025 season was one of vindication for Maurice Flowers after he got the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls over the hump, winning their first CIAA championship since 1969.
During the previous season, Johnson C. Smith got off to a hot start, winning its first eight games and looking like the overwhelming favorite to take home the conference.
However, losses over the final two weeks put an end to those hopes, adding to the Golden Bulls’ adversity that enriched their story of championship glory the following year.
Considering Johnson C. Smith still boasts a significant amount of talent from their championship run, and some key new players from the transfer portal, a repeat is certainly within their reach.
2. Richard Hayes, Fayetteville State
There is an argument to be made that Richard Hayes should be number one on this list, as he is arguably the most consistent coach remaining in Division II HBCU football.
Since taking over as head coach at Fayetteville State in 2016, Hayes has established a winning culture that has made it one of the most successful programs in recent years.
Before the CIAA abolished divisions after the 2023 season, the Broncos ruled over the CIAA South, claiming six straight division titles from 2017-2023. His six conference championship berths are the most among active HBCU football coaches at any level.
That being said, Hayes’s 1-5 record in CIAA championship games, including his most recent loss coming against the team headed by the number one coach on this list, drops him to number two.
1. Dr. Alvin Parker, Virginia Union
There is no question that Virginia Union head coach Dr. Alvin Parker is hands down the best and most accomplished in Division II HBCU football.
Coach Parker has won at least six games in every year he’s been at the helm at his alma mater (since 2018), including appearances in each of the last three CIAA championship games.
In addition, the Panthers have been selected to the Division II playoffs in each of the past four seasons, one of only five teams in all of Division II football to do so.
The only thing Dr. Parker has yet to do is win a Division II National Championship, which, considering all he has accomplished with Virginia Union thus far, would not be far-fetched to see happen in the years to come.
