UNC Football: Discussing Gene Chizik’s departure, the transfer portal, and what comes next for the Tar Heels.
With staff turnover and new faces on the horizon, where are the Tar Heels headed?
The college football season has nearly come and gone. Most programs are focused on 2024 and what lies ahead as the National Championship takes place on Monday. North Carolina is among that large majority, and the current state of collegiate athletics generates more buzz in the offseason than we have ever seen. The transfer portal, NFL Draft, NIL, and conference realignment are just a few of the events that keep everyone, including some players, on their toes.
I will refrain from telling the Tar Heels’ story in 2023. What I will eat, however, is what may be in front of Mack Brown and UNC. I’d like to wrap up a year filled with both triumphant victories and demoralizing losses. To do so, consider North Carolina’s good and bad points to get a sense of what lies ahead, and, more importantly, what should come next.
Staff
The Tar Heels released defensive coordinator Gene Chizik and defensive line coach Tim Cross yesterday, so this train has already left the station. Ted Monachino, a former defensive analyst, has already been named as the DL replacement. Whoever it is, North Carolina will have a new defensive coordinator in 2024. This feels like a long time coming, and it’s arguably the most important decision UNC has made this offseason.
The seat is undoubtedly hot for other position coaches, but even if no one else is let go, I would like to see some staff reshuffling. Mack must place a high priority on the special teams room this offseason, and whatever approach he takes, I recommend he do something completely different than we saw last season.
The continued success of some employees, despite the fact that other employees demonstrate the polar opposite, is astounding. It goes without saying, but there should be a focus on keeping specific coaching weapons in-house rather than looking elsewhere.
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