HBCU coordinator will also coach UFL team in rare role

HBCU offensive coordinator will also serve as pro football head coach

Shannon Harris will be a two-way coach. In a historic move that will impact both the college and professional football ranks, Harris, the offensive coordinator at Tennessee State, was officially named head coach of the DC Defenders. Harris’ appointment marks a rare and notable feat. He will simultaneously serve as Tennessee State’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while leading the DC Defenders, a distinction seldom seen at any le…

HBCU coordinator will also coach UFL team in rare role

Shannon Harris has officially been named the head coach of the DC Defenders, the team announced Wednesday. Harris led the Defenders to the 2025 UFL Championship while serving as interim head coach and will now return to lead the franchise in 2026. The news comes just one week after he was introduced as the new offensive coordinator at Tennessee State University, a Nashville, TN HBCU. A Surprise Move After Tennessee State Hiring After accepting t…