UNCP Athletics

A seasoned coach with previous stops at both the collegiate and prep levels, Bryan Harris begins his third season at UNC Pembroke in 2025-26, as well as his sixth alongside head coach Mark Hall, as the running backs coach for the Braves.
 
Harris came to Pembroke after serving two seasons (2021-22) in the same role at Chowan. He also has previous coaching stints at three high schools in Florida.

Harris made an immediate impact in Pembroke, leading a backfield that averaged 220 yards per game during the 2023 season, an increase of 100 yards per game from the previous season. True freshman Sincere Baines was named MEC Offensive Freshman of the Year after leading Division II and breaking the single-season school record for average yards per carry at 7.6, while also racking up 12 TDs (11 rushing). As a team, the Black & Gold averaged 6.4 yards per carry and tallied 28 rushing TDs on the season.

The 2024 season brought more rushing success, as the Braves finished 36th, nationally, in rushing yards per game (169.4). The Black & Gold would turn in 377 yards on the ground in the win over West Virginia Wesleyan, while also going for 200+ yards in wins over West Virginia State and Frostburg State.

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.