CHAPEL HILL – Ted Monachino is on the field again coaching guys in the trenches, showing the many pass-rushing techniques that have marked his impressive career, and just getting in there and working it.
Monachino is in his second year in North Carolina’s football program, but first on the field. Hired as an analyst well before spring practice in 2023, NCAA rules prohibited him from engaging much with players, most specifically hands-on coaching on the practice fields.
But as UNC’s defensive line coach, having replaced Tim Cross, who was let go last winter after spending five seasons at Carolina, Monachino has made a significant impact on the Tar Heels up front, at least according to players and staffers in the program.
“When Coach (Gene) Chizik brought in Ted Monachino, he couldn’t coach on the field, but we were able to watch him all year and his relationship with the players,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said. “So, you’ve got a 33-year veteran, and he’s coached at all levels… (Including 16 years in the NFL)
“Great track record with the defensive line and pass rushers. Terrell Suggs, Khalil Mack, Elvis Dumerville, C.J. Mosley. He coached Ray Lewis, won a Super Bowl, defensive coordinator in the NFL.”
The thing is, Monachino’s initial plan when arriving in Chapel Hill was to spend a year helping the program before moving on. He even said not long after being hired, he wanted to get back to the NFL.
However, after Chizik was let go last winter, and with the defensive line job open, Monachino accepted Brown’s offer for the position even though a defensive coordinator hadn’t yet been hired. Geoff Collins came on board not much longer.
But for Monachino, taking the Carolina job was a big decision, one in which the seeds were slowly planted over the year he worked as an analyst.
“I’m at the point now in my career, that I’m looking for the greatest challenges, I’m looking for the best opportunities to work with the people I want to work with…,” Monachino said. “This NFL thing, it’s a crazy, crazy thing, and it(was) spinning fast… it’s really nice for me to not have to worry about that.”
Brown saw Monachino as someone well respected inside the Kenan Football Center, and someone whom the players liked and knew all about the stars he’d coached in the NFL. It was a win-win for the program.
“With Ted, he was familiar with our team, his family is familiar with our team,” Brown said. “The players all know him, and they’re very, very excited about him moving forward.”
Monachino can crack a joke, he can certainly flash a smile, but he can also get in there and coach up kids in the manner they need. An asset is his honesty with them, and also recognizing different ways in getting through to various players.
Des Evans, a fifth-year player still bursting with potential, swears by Monachino. In talking with Evans, it’s as if he’s been re-born as a football player under Monachino’s direction.
“Being here four years going on five, you really understand what it means to have character, have a standard, and people that are dialed in,” Evans said. “Coach Ted Monachino is that type of person. He’s going to shoot you straight, tell you what you did wrong and what you did right.”
An interesting perspective Evans laid out regarding Monachino is the difference between him in the role of analyst to the role of defensive line coach.
“He was more quiet with us last year, and that was because of his job,” Evans said. “He wasn’t a head man (of a group). But right now, he’s more hands on.”
Example, when one of the players had a poor practice, Monachino showed everyone in the room the clips from practice so they could all learn from it. It’s about learning from everyone, not just themselves.
“That’s what kind of coach (he) is,” Evans said, smiling.
In Monachino’s words, here is another example of the kind of coach he is.
“When you see it (roughness, nastiness) on tape, you have to point it out, and you have to praise those guys that show that,” he said. “I think that you also have to point it out when they need to make an improvement.
“When I ask a player how good he wants to be, and he wants to be the best, and I put the pointer on him in the meeting room, and I say, ‘hey man, the best guy doesn’t practice like this. I need you to be tougher in this situation against this double-team or against this down block kickout. If they’re of the same mindset, they’ll buy right in. If not, it will be a long, challenging relationship.”
So far, it appears buying into Monachino in this role was an easy sell throughout the program. His resume and first half-year on the job have meshed quite well.
