Thigpen_Tommy

Tommy Thigpen

  • Title
    Assistant Coach, Football (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
  • Email
    thigp10@nccu.edu
  • Phone
    (919) 530-5315
Tommy Thigpen, a veteran of the game who’s seen experience at both the professional and power conference collegiate level, joins the Eagles football coaching staff in 2026 to serve as defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

Most recently, Thigpen spent the 2025 season coaching linebackers for the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL).

A linebacker who starred at North Carolina before playing professionally for the New York Giants and the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe, Thigpen has a wealth of college coaching experience.

From 2019-24, Thigpen was on staff at his alma mater, serving as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Thigpen came to Carolina after spending five seasons at Tennessee (2013-17) as the linebackers coach and, beginning in 2016, the defensive run game coordinator. In Knoxville, Thigpen coached linebackers A.J. Johnson, Curt Maggitt and Jalen Reeves-Maybin to All-SEC honors.

The Volunteers won three straight bowl games in his time at UT.

Prior to heading to Knoxville, Thigpen spent four seasons at Auburn, where he mentored the safeties (2009-11) and linebackers (2012). He helped the Tigers to the BCS National Championship in 2010, a season in which Auburn ranked ninth in the country in rush defense at 109.1 yards per game.

Prior to his tenure at Auburn, Thigpen coached linebackers at North Carolina from 2005-08. He tutored UNC’s leading tacklers in each of his four seasons in Chapel Hill, coaching eventual standouts including Zach Brown, Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant.

Thigpen coached for two years at Illinois, serving as the cornerbacks coach in 2003 and the linebackers coach in 2004.

In 2001-02, he coached cornerbacks and was the special teams coordinator at Bowling Green State. Thigpen began his coaching career as a UNC graduate assistant in 1998-99. He then coached linebackers at Tennessee State in 2000.

A Parade All-American and Virginia Defensive Player of the Year at Potomac High School in Dumfries, Va., Thigpen earned four letters at North Carolina from 1989-92 and secured his bachelor’s degree in political science. He was a three-time All-ACC linebacker, earning first-team honors in 1991.

Thigpen went on to play professionally for the New York Giants in 1993-94 and the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe in 1995-96 before beginning his coaching career.

Thigpen is married to the former Jacinda Webb and the couple has two daughters, Asia and Naja.