As Charlotte first-year coach Tim Albin works to assemble his inaugural staff, he's going in a familiar direction for one of his most important hires.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Albin is hiring Nate Faanes has his inaugural defensive coordinator in Charlotte.
If that name rings familiar, well, it should. Faanes has been Ohio University's co-defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.
Albin was hired earlier this month as Charlotte's new head coach following his record-setting success at Ohio, which dominated Miami (Ohio) in the MAC Championship.
Albin, meanwhile, is seeking to stabilize and guide forward a Charlotte program that tanked under Will Healy before Healy was fired and then sunk even lower under fired former coach Biff Poggi.
Proving his coaching versatility, Faanes, a former AFCA 35-under-35 honoree, has tutored players on both sides of the ball.
He coached on the offensive side of the ball at NCAA DIII program Wisconsin-Eau Claire and also previously served on staff at Winona State, his alma mater.
Charlotte is set to open the Albin era in late-August 2025 against in-state foe Appalachian State, which also has a new head coach in first-year leader Dowell Loggains.