UNC Football: Five early questions for 2018 season

Coaching

How Hot is Larry Fedora’s seat?

As it has been mentioned, last season was not a good one for the Tar Heels and Coach Larry Fedora. Two years removed from an 11-3 season and an ACC Coastal Championship, UNC has seen its win total drop from 11 to eight to three the past two seasons.

A 3-9 record for any coach will put a little fire under the seat, though despite the bad season, there are a couple of factors going in Fedora’s favor.

The first is the mass number of injuries the Tar Heels suffered last season. It was a lot. From Andre Smith to Austin Proehl the Tar Heels were often practicing with starters versus starters because they didn’t have the depth to do otherwise.

Combine that with the mass amount of talent that left for the NFL the season before and some may argue it was amazing that Fedora won three games last season.

The second factor is money.

After the strong 11-win season, UNC wanted to make sure they didn’t lose their coach like they did with Mack Brown and offered Fedora a new seven-year contract that extended him through the 2022 season.

UNC just got done spending millions of dollars to fight the NCAA in their academic case and currently may not want to be paying a former head coach and a new head coach lots of money especially if the team isn’t really that close to winning.

Thirdly, some may argue that 2017 was the outlier season. Before that Fedora had won at least six games each year at UNC and had won eight games three times. Additionally, he is just two seasons removed from an 11-win team and could do it again if the right players improve.

I will acknowledge without the injuries and early draft entries, the Tar Heels might have won the six games Fedora usually wins. However, I also think that 2015 was the outlier season and that Fedora may not deserve all the leeway he is currently getting.

Of course, the biggest question involving Fedora’s seat is the last one.