PEMBROKE – UNC Pembroke football first-year head coach Mark Hall continued to make additions to his coaching staff on Saturday when he announced that seasoned coaching veteran Bryan Harris has joined the Braves as the running backs and tight ends coach.
 
Harris comes to Pembroke from Murfreesboro after spending the last two seasons alongside Hall on the sidelines at Chowan. He also has five years of coaching experience on the prep level in Florida.
 
"Bryan was a part of the first group of kids that we recruited to Chowan when I was an assistant coach, so I have known him for 15 years," Hall said. "His commitment to be here at UNC Pembroke has been huge, and I am elated that he wants to help us build something special here."
 
A key cog in a run of success for Chowan during both the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, Harris mentored more than 10 all-conference selections for the Hawks, while also engineering one of NCAA Division II's most potent offenses. The Hawks showcased the country's 25th-best total offense (432.2 yards/game) on the way to seven victories in 2021, and averaged 38.5 points per game in 2022 – a number which ranked 12th, nationally – on the way to capturing the CIAA North Division title and earning a berth into the conference championship game.
 
Prior to trekking to Murfreesboro, Harris wore the hat of offensive coordinator at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Fla., during the 2018 and 2019 seasons and guided an offense that averaged nearly 285 yards and 28.4 points per game under his watch. While at HHS, Harris coached nine players that went on to earn all-state or all-county accolades, including a quarterback, current UNCP signal caller Caleb Pierce, that tacked up a sophomore campaign of more than 1,600 passing yards. The Terries compiled 13 victories across the 2018 and 2019 seasons, including an 8-3 mark and a district title in the latter campaign.
 
Harris coached the quarterbacks and shared offensive coordinator duties at King High School in Tampa during the 2017 campaign, and spent the two previous seasons (2015-16) as the running backs coach and co-offensive coordinator at Gainesville (Fla.) High School under the auspices of offensive coordinator and legendary Florida signal caller Shane Matthews.
 
A native of Gainesville, Harris was an integral part of the tight end rotation at Chowan from 2008-12 under then-assistant coach Mark Hall. He saw action in 32 games in Murfreesboro and logged 17 career receptions for 177 yards and a pair of scores. He tallied both of his touchdown receptions during his senior campaign.
 
Harris earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Chowan in 2013, and completed his graduate work in organizational leadership at Chowan in 2022.