NC State Hires UNC Assistant Coach Charlton Warren as Their New Safeties & Nickels Coach

With Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay leaving for a position elsewhere, NC State has hired UNC Assistant Coach Charlton Warren as their new Safeties and Nickels Coach, and he will also carry the title of Co-Defensive Coordinator.

Warren has been coaching football at the collegiate level for the past 18 seasons (also 1 year as a Graduate Assistant).

Most recently, he has been the Defensive Backs Coach at UNC for the past 3 seasons. He previously served as the DB’s coach for the Tar Heels in 2015-16 as well. Over the past three seasons in Chapel Hill, Warren was also the Co-Defensive Coordinator in 2022-23, and was additionally an Associate Head Coach this season.

The 2009 Falcons defense ranked seventh nationally with 20 interceptions and led the nation in turnover margin. In addition, that 2009 defense ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing yards allowed (5th), total defense (11th) and pass efficiency defense (17th).

In 2011, the Air Force pass defense ranked third in NCAA passing yards allowed at 166.8 yards per game and was second in 2010 by allowing 147.8 yards per game.

In 2014, Warren helped Nebraska’s defense rank fifth nationally in pass efficiency defense and 32nd in passing yards allowed. The Huskers ranked second nationally in completion percentage (48.5), 13th in yards per passing attempt (6.1) and 19th in touchdown passes (15).

Under Warren’s watch at UNC, the Tar Heels posted the 10th best passing defense in the NCAA in 2016, allowing only 180.8 yards per game through the air.
 
In his first year in Chapel Hill, Warren played a major role for a Tar Heel defense that allowed 14.5 fewer points from the previous season, the best improvement of any Power 5 program. UNC also had the most improved pass defense in the country in both pass efficiency and yards per pass attempt. The Tar Heels led the ACC in interceptions, turnovers gained and passes defended while posting an 11-3 record and earning a berth in the ACC Championship Game. The 2015 Tar Heels allowed only 11 passing touchdowns, the fourth fewest in the NCAA.

Warren molded Tennessee’s pass defense into one of the stingiest in the SEC during the 2017 season, allowing the second-fewest passing yards (1,950) and yards per game (161.7). The Volunteers pass efficiency defense (127.8) was good enough for seventh in the league. The Volunteers were also one of just five SEC schools to return a kickoff for a touchdown in 2017.

With the addition of Warren on staff, Florida’s defense made huge improvements in 2018 compared to the prior season, including going from T-81st in the FBS for takeaways with 17 to T-11th with 26 and shooting from T-125th in fumble recoveries with three to T-12th with 12. The Gators’ pass efficiency defense (112.69 – 17th), scoring defense (20.0 – 20th).

Warren molded Tennessee’s pass defense into one of the stingiest in the SEC during the 2017 season, allowing the second-fewest passing yards (1,950) and yards per game (161.7). The Volunteers pass efficiency defense (127.8) was good enough for seventh in the league. The Volunteers were also one of just five SEC schools to return a kickoff for a touchdown in 2017.

In his first season at Georgia, Warren was part of a coaching staff that led the nation in scoring and rushing defense, ranking among FBS leaders in several other categories. The leader of Warren’s first group in the secondary was safety J.R. Reed, a 3-year starter who earned first-team All-America status and was a finalist for the Thorpe Award.

In 2020, the Georgia defense finished second in the SEC and 12th in the nation in total defense, and they were second in the SEC and 16th nationally in scoring defense. In addition, Warren’s secondary produced four NFL Draft picks, including first-rounder Eric Stokes and second-rounder Tyson Campbell.

In 2023 at UNC, Warren led a secondary that produced 12 interceptions on the year, the most since the Heels posted 14 in 2019. (Link)

On numerous occassions, Warren has ranked as one of the best recruiters in the nation by 247Sports.

While it is sad to see Freddie go, Warren is coaching a position he actually played in college, and has been coaching for almost 2 decades.