UNC-CH Football: Desperate for Stability
posted by Keyona Smith | December 5, 2018 | In SportsThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are shaking things up in the football program by announcing the removal of head coach Larry Fedora after seven seasons for former head coach Mack Brown.
According to the News and Observer, Brown, 67, coached 10 seasons at UNC from 1988 to 1997. Brown resigned from coaching football in 2013 and left behind an impressive track record. Currently, he is a college football commentator for ESPN.
Despite what he once did for UNC, many do not believe that he was the right pick for the new hire. One News and Observer commentator wrote recently: “Everyone loves Mack. The price is right. He’ll bring some stability to the program … and let others handle the X’s and O’s.” Some think his hire isn’t a long term solution to the removal of Fedora but merely a placeholder.
While many are not satisfied with this particular hire, Brown’s stint while he was in charge of the program must be recorded as one of the best. During the last five years of his tenure, Brown led the Heels to five consecutive bowl games. Brown left UNC late 1997 for Texas University where he won a national championship in 2005 and also finished that particular season undefeated.
FSU student and UNC football fan Josh Jenkins believes he has what it takes to revive the program if not for long term at least for right now. “Well, if he took them to five bowl games then he knows what to do and he has what it takes to accomplish what those boys need,” said Jenkins. “There are coaches out there that we could get that may be a fresh start for the program but to have someone come back that we are used to … he’s used to the system already, so it’s probably a better fit for them right now, and they’re trying to get back to who they used to be.”
Sports critics may side with Bria Battle, a FSU student who believes that one new coach is not the recipe for a brand new program. “It takes more than just a coach to revive a football program. It takes the recruiting efforts. The recruiters that you get and the players that you currently have. The fans are in a moment of desperation. They are not looking at it from the bigger picture,” said Battle. “At this point, you have nothing to lose right now.” Fedora, the last coach tasked with the job of correcting UNC’s football program, started his career with the Tar Heels in 2012 after leaving the University of Southern Mississippi, where he secured a conference title.
Fedora came into the program facing adversity from NCAA under then-Coach Butch Davis. According to ESPN, Davis came under scrutiny by the NCAA for allegations of numerous potential major violations, although none were directly connected to him. Initially the concerns began to brew around two players, defensive tackle Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little, but investigations led to more issues. Eventually they found issues within connected tutors for players that no longer attended UNC and unethical conduct by associate head coach John Blake persuading players to work with late NFL agent Gary Wichard. As head coach, Davis took responsibility that resulted in UNC’s loss of their head coach just days before training camp. Fedora came into UNC’s football program hungry and ultimately leading the Heels to winning records in his first two seasons. Despite his great start, Fedora finished his last season with a poor record of 2-9. According to CBS Sports, Bubba Cunningham athletic director met with the university’s chancellor and its board of trustees to release Fedora of his position.
One thing to be looked at as a positive for Fedora is the fact that he still has four committed years remaining in his contract. Over the next four years Fedora will continue to earn $3 million per year.
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