NC State Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson Turns Down Charlotte Head Coaching Job

Yesterday, we reported that NC State Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson was 1 of 3 finalists for the UNC-Charlotte Head Coaching position.

According to FootballScoop and Hunter Bailey of The Observer, Gibson has turned down the job.

Can confirm that Tony Gibson turned down the Charlotte job. https://t.co/olnTuaSwbp

— Hunter Bailey (@Hunter_Bailey45) December 3, 2024

Gibson was 1 of 3 supposed finalists, which also included Bobby Petrino and Tim Brewster.

Ironically, FootballScoop is reporting that Neal Brown, who was just fired from West Virginia, is now a candidate for the Charlotte opening, as well as the opening at Appalachian State.

This is ironic, because Gibson will likely be a candidate for the West Virginia job that Brown was just fired from, and there are also reports that Gibby is high on the Mountaineers wish list. Also, I would expect for Gibson to be a candidate for the possible Marshall Head Coaching opening as well.

Last December, NC State did what they could do to prepare themselves for this very scenario, giving Gibson a new 3-year contract, paying $1.5 annually. At the time of the signing of the new deal, Gibson was the highest paid Defensive Coordinator in the ACC, and the 9th highest paid nationally.

Gibson has never been a head coach before, but has ties to West Virginia. Not only is it the state of his birth, but he also has served as an assistant coach at West Virginia in different roles there over two different stints. His first stint at West Virginia was from 1999-2007, serving as the Defensive Coordinator (1999-2000) and Defensive Backs Coach (2001-07). After spending time at Michigan, Pitt and Arizona, Gibby went back to West Virginia, and was there for a second stint from 2013-18. In that time, he served as the Safeties Coach (2013), Linebackers Coach (14-18) and Defensive Coordinator (14-18).

Gibson has been in Raleigh since 2019, leading NC State’s Defense to a Top-25 nationally in Total Defense in 2021-2023.