Larry Fedora didn’t have to hire another fired football coach.

When UNC football had the worst defense in the nation two years ago, Larry Fedora fired his entire defensive staff and went looking for better coaches on that side of the ball. He settled on Gene Chizik as coordinator even though Chizik had been fired at probation-plagued Auburn two year earlier. Since Carolina was still in the middle of an NCAA investigation, and perception was an issue for the athletic department, some people criticized that hire, including me. I hoped Chizik would succeed because that would make everyone forget he had coached at a suspect school.

Tim Beckman

Former Illinois head coach Tim Beckman lost his job for poor treatment of his players throughout his three-year tenure. His relationship with UNC head coach Larry Fedora earned him a second chance as a volunteer assistant in Chapel Hill. (AP Photo/ LM Otero)

Chizik turned the Tar Heel defense around and was nominated for best assistant coach in the country. Fedora’s reasoning was that he was looking for a great defensive coordinator and Chizik would not have any responsibility that mirrored what got him in trouble at Auburn. Apparently, the same applies to Fedora’s hire of fired Illinois football coach Tim Beckman, who has joined the UNC staff as a volunteer assistant.

Beckman was fired at Illinois, where the Tar Heels happen to play in their second game of the season, for allegedly pressuring at least one member of the team to play injured. He won a small settlement for wrongful termination, which doesn’t prove his guilt or innocence. Beckman coached with Fedora at Oklahoma State and wanted to stay in college football, and Fedora helped his old coaching mate with a second chance.

That chance will not jeopardize the reputation of Carolina football, which had much more at stake with the Chizik hire. Beckman will break down tape and help put together scouting reports and will be five football fields away from the training room and any decisions made by the medical staff on whether anyone can suit up.

Sure, it may look like Fedora doesn’t care who he brings into his program, but the truth is he cares very much because he is helping a friend in need. A good lesson for his players.

Gene Chizik was a much riskier hire since there was no guarantee he could improve that awful defense from 2014, and then the criticism would have come back harder. Beckman is a much lower profile hire, and this one is in the category of helping a colleague. Right or wrong, you have to admire Fedora for doing something he didn’t really need to do.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
Bill Belichick at UNC: The Full Timeline
Bill Belichick’s tenure as the UNC head football coach has been full of twists and turns since his shocking hiring to lead the program in Dec. 2024. Since arriving in Chapel Hill, the six-time Super Bowl winning head coach has attracted national attention — for both Carolina’s on-field prospects and headlines around his book tour […]
Kickoff Times, TV Networks Announced for Five UNC Football Games
With UNC football season a few months away, we're getting new details about their 2025 schedule - including kickoff times for several games.
Chansky's Notebook: They've Got Mail
The angle that won’t die is when Bill Belichick is seen with Jordon Hudson, close enough for their pictures to wind up all over social media.
UNC Football 2025 Spring Transfer Portal Window Tracker: Arrivals
The spring window of the college football transfer portal opened Wednesday, April 16 and closed Friday, April 25. Players who intend to transfer must enter their names into the portal before the window closes, but do not need to have selected their next school by then. Here is a summary of which players have committed […]
'Turn Over Every Rock': UNC Athletics Eyeing Enhanced Football Gameday Experience
UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham and chief revenue officer Rick Barakat presented several potential enhancements to both Kenan Stadium and the football program’s gameday presentation to the university’s Board of Trustees Wednesday. Below are key takeaways from the presentation: Sponsorships Barakat and Cunningham also brought forth to the Board new developments with regard to UNC’s […]
Chansky's Notebook: Palace Intrigue
All reports are that Bill Belichick will operate like the he did in New England, appearing only when required by UNC or the ACC.
Bill Belichick Talks UNC, Jordon Hudson and More on 'Good Morning America.' Check Out the Full Interview:
UNC head football coach Bill Belichick joined ABC’s “Good Morning America” Friday morning for an interview with anchor (and NFL Hall of Famer) Michael Strahan. The two discussed numerous topics, including Belichick’s new book, “The Art of Winning,” working with Tom Brady and his transition to college football after a career in the professional ranks. […]
Bill Belichick Will Appear on ABC's 'Good Morning America' Friday. Here's How To Watch
UNC head football coach Bill Belichick will appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Friday morning for an interview with anchor (and NFL Hall of Famer) Michael Strahan. The interview will be Belichick’s first public appearance since his contentious interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” in April. The interview was ostensibly to promote the head coach’s new […]
'I Believe in What We're Doing': Read Bill Belichick's Comments From SportsCenter Interview
UNC head football coach Bill Belichick sat down with ESPN’s Christine Williamson during the ACC Spring Meetings at Amelia Island, FL Tuesday afternoon. Belichick addressed his transition to college football, his early impressions of the 2025 Tar Heels, his highly publicized relationship with Jordon Hudson and more. Check out Belichick’s full comments, which have been […]
UNC Statement: No, Jordon Hudson is Not Banned from the Football Facilities
The UNC athletic department released a statement Friday morning confirming that Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of head football coach Bill Belichick, is still welcome around the program’s facilities. The statement came after a report from former ESPN correspondent Pablo Torre earlier that morning stated Hudson had been banned from the premises. You can read […]
›