Former UNC football defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has returned to Chapel Hill for his second stint heading up UNC’s defense. What has changed? What has stayed the same?
As the calendar flips to August and fall camp kicks into high gear for the North Carolina football team, the Tar Heels have several question marks to answer coming off a mostly disappointing 2021 season.
One of those question marks is on the defensive side of the ball. There’s no hiding or disguising it: North Carolina’s defense has been bad the past couple of years and it was time for a change.
The last time UNC made a change at Head Coach, they brought back Mack Brown from a media job for his second tenure in Chapel Hill. That’s worked out well, so why not try that again when it comes to hiring a Defensive Coordinator?
That’s exactly what Mack Brown did, bringing back Gene Chizik from a media job for his second tenure with the Tar Heels. Chizik was previously the defensive coordinator for North Carolina in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. His new title is “Assistant Head Coach for Defense”, essentially serving as the Defensive Coordinator for Mack Brown (despite Tommy Thigpen and Charlton Warren’s titles of “Co-Defensive Coordinator”).
The big question is – what has changed and what has stayed the same in the North Carolina Football program in the five years since Chizik left?
CHANGED
The first and most obvious difference is the Head Coach Chizik is working under. His first stint at North Carolina was during the Larry Fedora era, while now obviously working alongside Coach Brown.
Another aspect that’s changed is the recruiting momentum. Mack Brown is such a dynamic recruiter that he’s been able to stock the Tar Heels’ coffers with talent all over the field for Coach Chizik to mold.
The transfer portal and one-time transfer rule, while affecting the entire country, are a huge difference since Coach Chizik was last coaching. His defense has picked up players such as Lejond Cavazos (Ohio State) and Noah Taylor (Virginia).
Earlier this summer, Coach Chizik noted how that recruiting and those transfers have come together to add more depth, particularly across the defensive line.
SAME
Chizik’s task is the same as it was the first time around: Get the Tar Heel defense headed in the right direction.
Just as he did last time he joined the Tar Heel coaching staff, Coach Chizik comes to the team from the SEC Network. He’s the same man but has likely picked up more ideas, coaching principles, etc. from watching coaches around the SEC and nation.
Perhaps most importantly, he’s still a national champion-winning head coach. Despite a dead-even 38-38 all-time head coaching record, winning a national championship is no accident. This is a man who knows how to win and knows what it takes to do so.
How does it all come together?
A national champion-winning coach returning to a place he’s coached before brings with it massive expectations. Not to mention the depth of talent and experience that Coach Chizik has to play with. Everything on paper looks encouraging. The nation is sleeping on the Tar Heels. Now it’s time for Gene Chizik, his positional coaches, and the players to bring all the ingredients together and produce on the field.
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