ANALYSIS: Mack Brown adds experiences, former Tar Heels to defensive coaching staff

On Jan. 10, Mack Brown finalized his coaching staff in his second stint as North Carolina football head coach. Here's a look at the personnel who will lead the Tar Heel defense:

Co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach: Jay Bateman 

Previous job: defensive coordinator, Army 

Analysis: Bateman knows the lay of the land in North Carolina and fielded strong defenses at Army, which is no easy feat considering the limitations placed on the sort of players you can recruit at West Point. Those appear to be the two most important things Bateman has going for him. That, and the fact that he’s not named Greg Robinson, the former Syracuse head coach and one-time defensive coordinator at Texas with Brown who was nearly named UNC’s new defensive coordinator but ultimately wasn’t, due to “immediate negative backlash, both internally and externally,” Inside Carolina reported. 

Brown is hoping that Bateman’s familiarity with the Tar Heel state from his time as an defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Elon in 2006 will help with UNC’s attempt to regain control of in-state recruiting, where it has lost ground in recent years.

There’s also the hope that if Bateman can field strong defenses at Army – the Black Knights were No. 10 in scoring defense in 2018 (17.7 points per game) and No. 15 in 2016 (19.8 points per game) – he can do the same with better and more skilled athletes, on average, at UNC. 

This past season, one of Army’s most impressive performances came on the road against eventual national quarterfinalist Oklahoma. The Black Knights took the Sooners to overtime before losing 28-21, and Army’s defense shut out Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray and Oklahoma during the second half. It was a showing that included a crucial goal-line stand at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Sooners’ 28 points were the fewest they scored in a game this past season by a six-point margin. 

It will be interesting to see what sort of defensive philosophy Bateman uses with a UNC unit that has been prone to giving up big plays in recent years. Another thing to consider: at Army, Bateman’s defenses had the benefit of playing in games with fewer possessions, which consequently meant less time on the field, because of the Black Knights’ methodical triple-option offense. Longo’s offense at UNC should be the opposite of that. 

Co-defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach: Tommy Thigpen
Previous job: safeties coach, UNC
Analysis: Brown immediately tabbed Thigpen as someone he wanted to keep from Larry Fedora’s staff – for good reason. For one, Brown knows Thigpen well. He coached him at UNC, with Thigpen earning All-ACC honors as linebacker on three occasions. But beyond that source of familiarity, Thigpen seems like a UNC guy through-and-through. With Brown retaining him, Thigpen has now worked under four different UNC head coaches – Carl Torbush, John Bunting, Fedora and Brown. He knows the program, and, just as importantly, he knows the state. 

All indications point to Brown counting on Thigpen to play a key role in the Tar Heels’ goal of making up lost ground with in-state recruiting. In 2013, while working at Tennessee, Thigpen was named national recruiter of the year by Rivals.com. 

Cornerbacks coach: Dré Bly
Previous job: assistant coach, Myers Park High School (Charlotte, N.C.)
Analysis: This is Bly’s first coaching gig at the college level but the accolades from his playing days provide reason for optimism. Bly played three seasons under Brown at UNC and became the program’s leader in career interceptions and earned All-America honors as just a first-year. His 11-year NFL career included a Super Bowl victory with the St. Louis Rams and two trips to the Pro Bowl. 

Being a great player doesn’t necessarily translate to being a great coach — but by adding Bly to his staff, Brown has brought back a fan-favorite. Bly's name is synonymous with good cornerback play and he has a bevy of experience to base his teachings on. One would expect UNC’s cornerbacks to be excited about the prospect of learning from Bly, who’s most experienced returnees will include Patrice Rene and K.J. Sails. 

Defensive line coach: Tim Cross
Previous job: assistant head coach/defensive line coach, Air Force                                                       
Analysis: A team-released video of Cross introducing himself to players shows how emotional he can be. On the verge of tears but at the same time fired up, Cross told players “let’s get this work!” while simultaneously bear-hugging and dapping-up anyone in his path. Cross may not be a strength and conditioning coach anymore – he was for Brown at Texas – but he certainly still has the spirit of one. 

If Cross’ defensive linemen can play half as well as he can work a crowd, the Tar Heels will be in good shape. UNC will be without its top defensive lineman Malik Carney, as well as Tyler Powell and Jalen Dalton. However, the team returns Jason Strowbridge, Tomon Fox and Aaron Crawford, whose 2018 season was negatively impacted by injuries, as well as several younger players who saw the field last year. 

Cross, who also worked under Brewster at Minnesota, will be tasked with making sure the UNC defensive line group continues to pressure the passer the way it did last season while improving against the run, which was a real struggle. 

Special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach: Scott Boone
Previous job: defensive analyst, Wake Forest
Analysis: As a defensive analyst at Wake Forest, Boone was part of the Demon Deacons’ staff. However, he  couldn’t actually coach players because of NCAA rules on what analysts, a growing position in college football, can and can’t do. That won’t be the case at UNC, where he’ll be in charge of special teams and outside linebackers. 

Special teams was a strength for UNC most years under Fedora, but Anthony Ratliff-Williams, a threat on kickoff returns, is gone, as is field goal kicker Freeman Jones. Boone will need to find replacements for both of those roles as well as ensure that Dazz Newsome, who excelled on punt returns last season, has another strong season. 

@Brennan_Doherty

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