A tough first year for Reggie Barlow as heir apparent to Eddie George at Tennessee State is seeing Barlow make significant change atop his offense.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Barlow is bringing in Matt Leone as the Tigers' new offensive coordinator on the heels of Tennessee State's 2-10 2025 season.
Leone is set to arrive in Nashville from his spot atop the North Carolina Central offense.
In addition to several seasons at North Carolina Central, Leone also has significant coaching experience from his extended run on the staff at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
But it's Leone's North Carolina Central offenses that have generated consistent success in recent seasons. His 2024 Eagles offense led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in scoring at almost 35 points per game; the Eagles were again near the top of the MEAC in 2025 when they averaged 33.75 points per game and 421 yards.
Leone played collegiately and got his coaching start at Webber International University. He climbed the coaching ranks there to earn his first offensive coordinator role and then logged four seasons at Southern before he landed on the North Carolina Central staff.
The Eagles posted an 8-4 mark in 2025.
Tennessee State lost George late in the cycle after the 2024 season, when George returned to the state of Ohio to take over at Football Bowls Subdivision program Bowling Green.
He exited after a record-setting season atop the Tennessee State program in which the Tigers won nine games and advanced to the FCS Playoffs, where their season ended in a 41-27 loss at host and No. 14 Montana.
The Tigers struggled in their first season under Barlow, a former longtime NFL player who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tennessee State was 2-5 through the season's first two months but dropped its final five games. The Tigers are scheduled to open their 2026 season Sept. 5 at Georgia, the reigning Southeastern Conference champion and No. 3 seed in this year's 12-team College Football Playoff.