Having already lost two coaches to SEC teams this offseason, UNC finally struck back late Monday night when it made a move to hire Texas A&M’s Terry Joseph as its new defensive backs coach.

Joseph replaces Charlton Warren in the position after Warren decided to take the same job at Tennessee.

After three seasons with the Aggies, Joseph should inherit a talented secondary at UNC that includes cornerback MJ Stewart and safety Donnie Miles–two of the Tar Heels’ best defensive players over the last couple seasons.

His pass defense at Texas A&M ranked 91st in the country in 2016, giving up 250 yards per game through the air. UNC, on the other hand, ranked 12th in the same category–surrendering less than 200 yards per outing.

The hire likely came due to the connection Joseph has with Tar Heel linebackers coach John Papuchis.

When Papuchis was the defensive coordinator at Nebraska from 2012-14, Joseph was his defensive backs coach for the first two seasons–with Warren serving as his replacement the next season.

Once Joseph officially takes over in Chapel Hill, all three coaches will have spent time at both Nebraska and UNC during their careers.

With the decision made to fill this staff opening, the Tar Heels will now likely move on to finding a replacement for former defensive line coach Tray Scott–a hire that could be of added importance considering the struggles UNC has had defending the run in recent seasons.

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