A former standout player under head coach Henry Frazier III at Bowie State, Michael Bryant joined the NCCU staff in 2011 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Bryant spent the previous eight seasons as a part of Frazier’s staff. For six of the last seven campaigns, Bryant served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Prairie View. In 2003, he was an assistant at his alma mater Bowie State University during Frazier’s final year as head coach of the Bulldogs.
A native of Washington, D.C., Bryant was a standout wide receiver and return specialist at Bowie State from 1998-2001. He was a three-year football captain and all-conference athlete, earning back-to-back Team Offensive MVP honors in 2001 and 2002.
He received a bachelor’s in communications in 2001 and a master’s of arts in public administration in 2003, both from Bowie State.
A CLOSER LOOK...
Everything fell into place for Bryant’s unit in 2009 as the Panther offense ranked second amongst SWAC teams in total offense and produced the nation’s most efficient passer in quarterback K.J. Black, who finished as the SWAC’s Offensive Player of the Year and SBN Black College All-American. Under his watch, Black threw for 2,033 yards and 22 touchdowns while only recording four interceptions en route to leading the Panthers to their first SWAC Championship since 1964. Prairie View’s ground attack also prospered as they ranked third in the league with 145.2 yards per outing along with running back Donald Babers narrowly missing the 1,000-yard mark with 919 yards and nine touchdowns.
In the air, the team’s wide receivers also posted career-high numbers as the unit combined to catch 125 receptions for 1,743 yards and 20 touchdowns. Individually, senior Gabe Osaze-Ediae closed out his career with career highs in receptions (37), yardage (598) and touchdowns (8) while Shaun Stephens and Brandon Bell all had career years in receptions and yards.
As a result of the offense's success in 2009, a total of five Panthers earned either All-SWAC First or Second Team honors.
The 2008 season was a memorable one for Bryant as the Panther offense moved to new heights and finished the season with their highest ranking in 20 years as they ranked second among SWAC teams in total offense after averaging 355.8 yards per contest. Prairie View also led the SWAC in scoring offense after scoring 30.7 points per game. On the ground, running back Donald Babers became Prairie View’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 1988 as the Panthers topped the charts in rush offense with 172.7 yards per outing and 23 rushing touchdowns.
Bryant capped his fifth season with the Panthers by having Babers and the offensive line duo of Cleveland Collie and James Dekle earn All-SWAC honors on offense.
The 2007 season saw the Panthers perform a huge turnaround offensively as they jumped five spots from the 2006 season to finish fifth in total offense as they averaged nearly 300 yards per game as they clinched their first winning season in over four decades. Quarterback Mark Spivey set a career-high in passing yardage that season in addition to offensive linemen Maurice Robinson and Daylan Deal earning Second Team All-SWAC honors as the duo led a line that only allowed 12 sacks for the season.
In 2005, Bryant moved over to coaching the team’s quarterbacks and helped former standout Michael Hill emerge as one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the SWAC as he passed for 930 yards and rushed for over 250 yards as the Panthers captured their most wins since 1988.
Bryant began his career at Prairie View as the team’s wide receivers coach in 2004. Under his watch, wideout Anthony Wright emerged as one of the top receivers in the SWAC as he averaged 21.7 yards per reception in addition to catching 26 receptions for 564 yards.
Originally from Washington, D.C., Bryant attended McKinley Tech High School and was a standout wide receiver and return specialist at Bowie State from 1998-2001. He helped propel the Bulldogs to the upper echelon of the CIAA and was a three-year football captain and all-conference athlete. He earned back-to-back Team Offensive MVP honors in 2001 and 2002. In addition, Bryant also was selected as the school’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year in both 2001 and 2002.
Off the field, Bryant’s academic record is equally impressive. In 2001 he received a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public administration in 2003, both from Bowie State. In addition, Bryant also spent time working for the Federal Government in a wide variety of positions along with coaching quarterbacks and receivers at Bowie State.
Bryant is a three-time participant in the NFL Minority Coaches Internship Program as he interned with the Washington Redskins, Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings during their training camps from 2006-08. Also during the summer of 2007, Bryant was selected to participate in the NCAA Men’s Coaches Academy.
Bryant is married to the former Sherika Jones of Fort Washington, Md.
THE BRYANT FILE:
PERSONAL
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
High School: McKinley Tech
Alma Mater: Bowie State ‘01
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2003 - Bowie State, assistant coach
2004 - Prairie View A&M, wide receivers/special teams coordinator
2005-2010 - Prairie View A&M, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
2011-Present - North Carolina Central University, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
