Charles Bankins is in his first season with the North Carolina Central University football program, serving as running backs coach.
He brings a wealth of collegiate coaching experience to the Eagles, having previously served in the same capacity for North Carolina A&T State. He has also served as a special teams coach or coordinator since 2005 at various schools like Charlotte, Old Dominion, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Richmond, Hampton, and with the NFL's St. Louis Rams.
Before leaving Memphis, Bankins helped the Tigers win the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl 38-10 over Utah State. Memphis finished the season ranked 14th in the nation in yards per kick return (23.21). Postseason honors went to kicker Chris Howard, who claimed first-team All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) honors after leading the conference and ranking 11th in the nation in field goals per game (1.62). Howard ranked 19th in the country in field goal percentage.
In his first season with the Tigers, punter Joe Doyle earned second-team All-AAC honors from Phil Steele, and punt returner Calvin Austin III and long snapper Preston Brady earned third-team accolades. The Tigers ended the season ranked 14th nationally in special teams rankings as they finished the season ranked 13th in the nation in punt return yards (13.10), 34th in kick return defense (18.91) and 45th in net punting (40.35).
Bankins spent a season with the Charlotte 49ers before spending four seasons with Old Dominion University as a running backs coach and the special teams coordinator. The Monarchs ranked 16th nationally in punt return defense and 31st in punt return average in 2018. In addition, kickoff returner Isaiah Harper secured Conference USA special teams player of the year honors in 2017 after returning three kickoffs for touchdowns.
In five seasons as Vanderbilt's special teams coordinator, Bankins also coached running backs (2014-15) and tight ends (2011-13). The Commodores kick coverage team twice ranked in the top-15 nationally, and kick returner Darrius Sims earned second-team All-SEC. In 2012, the Commodores placekicker, Carey Spear, and their punter Richard Kent earned All-SEC accolades.
When Bankins coached special teams at Maryland (2009-10) in addition to coaching tight ends, Terrapin punt returner Tony Logan earned first-team All-ACC recognition in 2010. In 2009, Torrey Smith captured All-ACC honors by breaking the conference single-season record for kickoff return yards. In addition, placekicker Nick Ferrara secured Freshman All-America recognition.
As the running backs coach at Richmond, Bankins helped the Spiders rank 24th in total offense nationally as running back Josh Vaughan rushed for 1,884 yards. Richmond's rushing attack ranked 12th nationally in 2007, averaging 234.6 yards per game. Bankins coached fifth-round NFL selection Tim Hightower that season as he set school records in rushing touchdowns (20) and yards (1,924).
In 2006, Bankins served as Hampton's offensive coordinator, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. Bankins also coached at Hampton from 2000-04. During his first stint, Hampton's all-time leading rusher Montrell Coley won the 2000 Division I-AA scoring title with 172 points and led the MEAC in rushing with 1,582 yards.
Darrian Barnes, who Bankins coached at Hampton, started at fullback in Super Bowl XXXVII for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who defeated the Oakland Raiders to win the world title.
Bankins also has NFL experience, having coached on Mike Martz's 2005 St. Louis Rams team as an assistant special teams coach. In 2002, he spent the summer as a minority coaching intern for the Green Bay Packers. Two years later, he served as a special teams intern for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Also in 2004, he was named to the 2004 NCAA Expert Coaching Academy.
Bankins coached wide receivers and tight ends for a year at Indiana (Pa.) University in 1999; wide receivers and tight ends at his alma mater, James Madison, in 1998; and he spent two years at Eastern Kentucky as a wide receivers coach in 1997 and a graduate assistant and academic advisor in 1996. He began coaching at his alma mater, Leonardtown (Md.) High School, in 1995, as special teams coordinator/offensive backfield.
A running back from 1990-92 at James Madison, Bankins earned a bachelor's degree in speech communication with a minor in political science in 1994. He earned a master's from Eastern Kentucky in 1998.
Bankins and his wife, Katrina, are the parents of a daughter, Ashley, and a son, William.
