After a tough 62-20 loss to in-state rival North Carolina Central, North Carolina A&T head football coach Shawn Gibbs was brutally honest during his Monday press conference, stressing that the program must undergo a significant culture shift to regain its winning ways.
“Saturday was, without a doubt, the most disappointing day of my career in football as a player or a coach,” Gibbs said, reflecting on the Aggies’ lopsided defeat. “We were out-coached, we were out-played, and out-cultured.”
Gibbs identified a deeper issue beyond on-field execution, pointing to the players’ mindset and behavior as the root cause. He recounted a pregame incident where a player on his team squirted North Carolina Central’s head coach with a water bottle, describing that act and other poor behaviors as symptomatic of the current culture.
“That young man is no longer on this team,” Gibbs said, who did not identify the player.
“That’s not how we’re going to do stuff,” Gibbs said firmly about the incident, adding that the player involved is no longer on the roster. “Anybody that’s going to act like that will not be a part of this team.”
The coach lamented a negative locker room atmosphere where players often criticize rather than support one another. “We’ve got too many guys that hate on this team,” he admitted. “Anytime my teammate has an opportunity to shine, I’ve got to support them. Those are the things we’ve got to work on.”
