UNC Football hires Gene Chizik and Charlton Warren to coaching staff

The UNC football program has announced two new hires to their coaching staff, both of which already have past experience in Chapel Hill.

On Friday, the UNC football program announced that they have mutually parted ways with defensive coordinator Jay Bateman after three seasons. Additionally, it was reported that assistant coach Jovan Dewitt will also be leaving Mack Brown’s staff.

After watching the Tar Heels this season, it was evident that there are some much needed changes that have to be made on the defensive side of the ball. With this in mind, Brown and company are looking to revamp their defense with a different mindset.

Not even a day after Bateman and the Tar Heels parted ways, we already have some clarity as to the direction that the Tar Heels are heading moving forward.

North Carolina announced that Gene Chizik and Charlton Warren have been hired to help bolster their defensive coaching staff. Both individuals are making their return to Chapel Hill, as both have had previous stops at the university.

Chizik was hired as the team’s assistant head coach for defense. Most recently, the 60-year-old has been out of coaching, as he’s served as an analyst for the SEC Network.

His last coaching stop, of course, came at North Carolina, as he served as the program’s defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2016. During his brief first stint, Chizik helped make major improvements to the Tar Heels defense.

The hire makes a ton of sense, as Brown and Chizik have past history working together. Chizik was Brown’s co-defensive coordinator on the 2005 Texas Longhorns squad that won the National Championship, and it was reported that the Tar Heels head coach had interest in bringing him on board once he came back to Chapel Hill a few years back.

Not only does Chizik bring a ton of coaching experience, he also has had some success as a head coach as well. As the head coach of Auburn with Cam Newton under center, Chizik led the Tigers to the 2010 National Championship.

In a quote reported by ESPN, here’s what Chizik had to say about rejoining the Tar Heels coaching staff:

"“Having coached here previously, I know this is a special place and I’m excited to help the program take the next step towards competing for and winning championships. I’m also excited to work with Coach Brown and a number of the assistants again. I know this group does things the right way and for the right reasons, which is really important to me. We’ve had a number of opportunities to get back into coaching, but this one is the total package. I’ve seen what the program has become since Coach Brown’s return, I know where it’s headed, and I’m excited to be a part of it. We can’t wait to get to Chapel Hill, meet all the guys, and get to work.”"

Along with the hire of Chizik, Charlton Warren was hired to take over as a co-defensive coordinator as well as defensive backs coach.

Warren has gained a ton of experience since breaking into the coaching ranks back in 2005. He began his coaching career at Air Force as a graduate assistant, and worked in numerous roles throughout the program up through the 2013 season.

From there, Warren has made brief stops ever since, as he’s coached at programs such as Nebraska, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and most recently Indiana.

During the 2015-2016 season (with Chizik), Warren was the Tar Heels defensive backs coach. Now, the two coaches will be reunited in Chapel Hill with the same goal in mind: to make North Carolina’s defense into one of the best units in the country.

With the addition of Chizik and Warren, it is expected that the UNC football program will go back to a traditional 4-3 defensive look. Additionally, even though Warren is listed as a defensive backs coach, Dre Bly is still expected to continue his role of working with the team’s cornerbacks moving forward.

Changes are being made in Chapel Hill, and hopefully they are a sign of good things to come for the UNC football program.

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