Gene Chizik is returning to North Carolina, as UNC Coach Mack Brown has tabbed Chizik as assistant head coach of defense, multiple sources have confirmed to THI.
In addition, former UNC defensive backs coach Charlton Warren is also returning and will serve as co-defensive coordinator.
Bateman was let go earlier this week following a season in which the Tar Heels finished 6-7 and had the No. 105 scoring defense in the nation. Chizik, who won a national championship as the head coach at Auburn in 2010, was UNC’s defensive coordinator under Larry Fedora in 2015 and 2016, the two best seasons of the Fedora era.
Carolina went 11-3 in 2015 narrowly losing to Clemson in the ACC championship game. That team is the only UNC club to win 11 consecutive games in the same season in program history.
In 2014, when UNC finished 6-7 and was blown out by Rutgers in its bowl game, the Tar Heels ranked No. 117 in total defense allowing 498 yards per game, and No. 116 in scoring defense giving up 39 points per contest.
Chizik replaced Vic Koenning and had an immediate impact. In 2015, UNC finished No. 95 in total defense giving up 435.9 yards per game and was No. 42 allowing 24.5 points per outing. The Heels also forced 26 turnovers that season.
In 2016, Chizik’s second and last season in Chapel Hill, UNC ranked No. 63 in total defense allowing 408.1 yards per game, and No. 43 in scoring at 24.9 points allowed.
In addition, sources around the program credited Chizik with changing the culture in the program, perhaps adding a bit of toughness, while also implementing some changes in offseason conditioning regimen. In addition, how the units prepared during the week with respect to stretching and weight training.
He left after two seasons, in which UNC suffered an immediate drop in performance. Not only did the Tar Heels win just five games combined in 2017 and 2018, but the defense reverted to its pre-Chizik form.
In 2017, UNC ranked No. 98 in total defense and No. 88 in scoring defense. In 2018, it ranked Nos. 105 and 107, respectively.
“We’re excited to welcome Gene, his wife Jonna, and their three children, Landry Grace, Kennedy Danielle and Cally, back to the Carolina football family,” Brown said. “Gene is one of college football’s great defensive minds and we’re excited that he’s returning to lead our unit. He’s spent the last five years in the media studying college football, so like me, he’s had a chance to look at a number of different schemes, while staying on top of how the game has evolved over the last few years. Gene has been approached a number of times for head coach or defensive coordinator jobs during that time, but decided this was the best opportunity at the right time for him. Gene is also very familiar with our current staff, having coached with Tommy Thigpen, Tim Cross and Larry Porter, and having relationships with a number of our other coaches. He also has experience recruiting in our footprint, so we expect our success in that area to continue.
“We’re excited to welcome Gene, his wife Jonna, and their three children, Landry Grace, Kennedy Danielle and Cally, back to the Carolina football family,” Brown said in a statement released by the school. “Gene is one of college football’s great defensive minds and we’re excited that he’s returning to lead our unit. He’s spent the last five years in the media studying college football, so like me, he’s had a chance to look at a number of different schemes, while staying on top of how the game has evolved over the last few years. Gene has been approached a number of times for head coach or defensive coordinator jobs during that time, but decided this was the best opportunity at the right time for him. Gene is also very familiar with our current staff, having coached with Tommy Thigpen, Tim Cross and Larry Porter, and having relationships with a number of our other coaches. He also has experience recruiting in our footprint, so we expect our success in that area to continue.
“We’re also thrilled to welcome Charlton and his three children, Jayree, Teya, and Chase, back to the Carolina football family. Charlton has a wealth of experience at a number of the top programs around the country, has recruited at a high level, and with his previous experience in Chapel Hill and working with Gene, I expect him to be a great fit with our staff. His work in the secondary has been very impressive throughout his career, and I’m excited to see what he can do with the talented players we have both on the current roster and coming in. We can’t wait for both Gene and Charlton to get to Chapel Hill and get started.”
Chizik, 60, has worked as a television analyst since leaving UNC, which also allowed him time to watch his son play in college. He was recently named the head coach and general manager of the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL, which didn’t last long, as a week later he agreed with Brown to join the UNC staff.
Chizik spent 31 years as a college coach, which included a stint as the head man at Iowa State, plus stops at auburn and Texas, where he worked under Brown in 2005 and 2006, in which he was Brown’s defensive coordinator when the Longhorns won the national championship in 2005.
*Some info in this report came from UNC's official release.
