UNC football head coach Mack Brown announces changes to Tar Heels coaching staff

Following another season where its defense finished near the bottom of the ACC, North Carolina parted ways with defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, the school announced Wednesday morning.

Though UNC coach Mack Brown praised Chizik as some one who “worked tirelessly to provide the best coaching and mentorship” for the Tar Heels players, Brown decided to look for a new defensive coordinator after the Tar Heels finished tied for 10th in ACC in points allowed per game (27.3) and 12th in yards allowed per game (404.4).

“We met extensively following the season,” Brown said in a statement, “and despite the improvements from last season to this season, we mutually agreed that parting ways would be in the best interest of both he and the program. I want to thank Gene and his family for all they’ve done for our program and wish them nothing but the best.”

In another change, Brown said senior defensive analyst Ted Monachino would become the Tar Heels’ defensive line coach, replacing Tim Cross.

UNC also announced co-defensive coordinator Charlton Warren will remain on staff as the assistant head coach for defense and will oversee the defensive backs.

Monachino joined the program as a senior defensive analyst prior to the 2023 season and will take over for Cross, who spent the past five seasons as defensive line coach.

“I want to thank Coach Cross and his family for all they’ve done for our program,” Brown said in his statement. “He is a wonderful man and an outstanding football coach. Tim really cares about the young men he coaches, and you can see that in the relationships he’s built with them.

“As I evaluated the program, I felt that it was the right time to make a change at that position. I was very impressed with coach Monachino’s work ethic and acumen during his first year as an analyst. I believe his depth of experience at the NFL and collegiate levels will be a great asset to not only our defensive line room, but our defense as a whole. It’s also an added bonus that our players are already familiar with him. I’m excited to see what he can do in this new role.”

Monachino has 33 years of football coaching experience at all levels, including 16 years in the NFL, with an emphasis on outside linebackers and defensive line.

Chizik’s stint at UNC was his second, and he has had a long coaching relationship with Brown.

Chizik, 62, was defensive coordinator at Texas under Brown when the Longhorns won the 2005 national championship.

As head coach at Auburn, Chizik won his own national title in 2010. He left Auburn in 2012, later becoming a football analyst with ESPN and the SEC Network.

Chizik took over as UNC defensive coordinator for two seasons under former coach Larry Fedora, and an improved defense helped the Heels win the Coastal Division in 2015. He soon left coaching again, resuming his TV analyst work, before accepting Brown’s offer to join the staff at UNC.

The Tar Heels were 6-0 this season — and the defense was doing its part — before a late-season slide that exposed defensive weaknesses. UNC finished 8-5 overall after a 30-10 loss to West Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, allowing 30 or more points to its last seven FBS opponents, including 46 at Georgia Tech.

Chizik was asked after a bowl practice if he anticipated a return for 2024, calling it a “fair question.” He said after every season as a coach, one must weigh what’s best for him and his family as well as what’s best for the university and the program.

“I don‘t know what will happen,” Chizik said then. “We know this is a big man’s sport and everybody’s got to assess and evaluate. In the end, we’ll come up with what it best for the university and whatever is best for this program.

“And it’s all good, one way or the other. It’s all good.”

Wednesday, despite the news, Chizik remained upbeat.

“Being a part of 36 wins and two ACC Coastal championships during my four years at UNC has truly been a blessing,” Chizik said in a statement. “Mack Brown and I will continue to be the closest of friends and I want to wish all of the coaches, players and administration the best moving forward. I love these young men at UNC and will always be grateful that our paths crossed.”