UNC Football: Tar Heels lose another offensive coach

The UNC football program has lost another coach this offseason, as the team’s offensive staff will look quite different this upcoming season.

Earlier this offseason, the UNC football program lost both offensive coordinator Phil Longo and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell to the Wisconsin Badgers.

Now, the Tar Heels have lost yet staff member, but this one is staying in-state and is heading to the NFL.

As first reported by The Athletic’s Joe Pearson, tight ends coach John Lilly will be leaving Chapel Hill to take on the same position with the Carolina Panthers. This move will end Lilly’s three-year stint with the UNC football program.

During his time in Chapel Hill, Lilly played a big role in revamping the team’s tight end room. North Carolina’s tight ends improved each season under Lilly’s direction, which was very evident during the 2022 campaign.

All three of the team’s main tight ends were very productive this past season. Bryson Nesbit led the way with 35 receptions for 507 yards and four touchdowns, while Kamari Morales caught 29 passes for 358 yards and four scores of his own. To add to that, John Copenhaver had some bright moments, as he hauled in 15 passes for 222 yards.

Lilly will be reunited with new Panthers’ offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, as the duo worked together for a season with the Georgia Bulldogs. This is not Lilly’s first rodeo in the NFL, as he was the tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 2016 and then once again for the Cleveland Browns in 2019.

This is a big loss for the UNC football program, as Lilly made a drastic impact on the team’s offense. With Longo and Lilly both out of the mix, the team’s new staff members will have to find ways to keep up the production that the tight ends have been consistently providing over the last few seasons.

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