**************************************************************************************

Remember, for just $8.33 a month, YOU CAN BE A TAR HEELS INSIDER, TOO!!!

***************************************************************************************

CHAPEL HILL – The path in Ryan Coe ending up at North Carolina was about as unconventional as it gets, and a bit unnerving, too.

An All-AAC kicker at Cincinnati last season, Coe entered the portal in December with one year of eligibility remaining. He wanted something new and a chance to play on a team that was going to score a lot of points and win games.

Wisconsin wanted him, especially since its head coach (Luke Fickell) at Cincinnati had taken over the Badgers in December. Mississippi State wanted him, too. So he visited both schools in addition to Carolina.

The trip to Starkville, MS, however is one Coe will never forget, and what transpired that weekend is partly why he ended up at UNC.

“I was going to commit there, and that’s when Mike Leach actually died,” Coe said, referring to MSU’s late coach who tragically, suddenly passed away in December. “I was the last recruit to ever be in coach Leach’s office. I was with him Saturday night, and that whole thing came out about him being in the hospital Sunday morning. It was not even twelve hours.”

Coe wasn’t sure what to do after that, and with the uncertainty suddenly hanging over the Mississippi State program, Coe called UNC special teams coach Larry Porter back and said he’d like to be a Tar Heel.

“I was happy that I did,” Coe said, “because it ended up working out and being a really good spot for me.”

UNC was one of Coe’s three finalists, and it ended up having everything he was looking for. He also offers Carolina something it also badly needs: consistency.

Noah Burnette struggled late this past season, notably in close losses to NC State and Oregon. Coe was one of the most accurate kickers in the nation last fall. He was 19-for-23 on field goals with a long of 52 yards earning all-conference honors. He converted all 44 of hos PATs, and hit on 16 of his last 17 field goal attempts. He kicked off 77 times with 45 touchbacks.

Coe spent the first three seasons in college kicking at Delaware. He was the kickoff specialist as a freshman and was the primary place kicker the next two seasons before spending last fall at Cincinnati. He has one more year to play because Coe gets the Covid year back.

“I’m really excited about (him),” UNC Coach Mack Brown said. “He’s got such a strong leg… He’s older, he’s strong, he’s big. I think he made 16 of his last 17 at Cincinnati.”

So why UNC? It wasn’t just because of the tragedy with Leach casting uncertainty around the MSU program. Wisconsin had opportunity, but the more Coe looked at North Carolina, the more he wanted to be a part of the Tar Heels.

“What it came down to, when I looked at all of the schools I had offers from out of the portal, I really liked the staff here at North Carolina,” Coe said. “I really like the area in terms of being close to home, or closer to home. I think we’re on a really good path to do well next year.

“And as a kicker, I think that’s important to me for being able to score points and get out on the field, and I wasn’t sure how much I’d be getting out there this next year if I stayed at Cincinnati.”

UNC returns quarterback Drake Maye, a Heisman Trophy contender and 2022 ACC Player of the Year, plus a host of other skill players from the running back room, tight end, and at wide receiver, including two accomplished receivers coming in from the portal. The Tar Heels should be highly potent next fall.

Carolina also expressed a strong desire to bring in Coe. Porter called him within a day of Coe entering the portal to gauge interest. It was there, so Porter then made his pitch.

“They knew it was definitely a need for them,” Coe said. “They wanted a guy that could come in here with some experience. I come off being a four-year starter previously, and just having a good season at Cincinnati. So that was something that was interesting to them.”

Coe has played 40 games in his college career, converting 45-for-57 field goals and all 91 of his Pats. He has kicked off 205 times with 107 touchbacks.

With Coe’s official visit to Mississippi State ending the Sunday when Leach was rushed to the hospital, Coe was still on campus. Perhaps he would have still ended up at Carolina. None of that matters now, he says, because Coe is a Tar Heel. And sometimes things work out for the best.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Obviously, I’m not happy that it happened; he’s a great coach and a legend. I’m happy I was able to come out here and make the visit, and talk with Coach Brown and Coach Porter and meet with the guys, kind of see the school and really get to take everything in.”

And UNC is glad to have him.