Dré Bly’s departure is not a total surprise.
The UNC cornerbacks coach and former Tar Heel All-American leaving had to be tough for Mack Brown, who likes to say “coming to Carolina is not a 4-year commitment, it’s a 40-year commitment.”
But in athletics, the phrase “parting ways” is code for a firing, and on that Brown had little choice. The Tar Heels’ defense has gotten worse during his second tenure here, and critics and fans have brought back the old slogan, Friendly Skies of Carolina, after they consistently couldn’t stop the opponents’ passing game.
This past season, the pass defense wasn’t far behind Drake Maye’s yards and touchdowns. Maye threw for an average of 309 per game and 38 total touchdowns, while the defense gave up 271 yards and 27 TDs through the air, not a significant enough difference. That was fewer yards than in Brown’s first three seasons back but far more touchdowns, which was among the most of all major college football teams in 2022.
Bly is one of the most decorated UNC and college players, a Hall of Famer also known as a Super Bowl champion, two-time Pro Bowler and the all-time NFL return-yards leader. He had only one year of coaching experience with the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football when Brown tapped him as cornerbacks coach on his first staff in 2019. Clearly, he was hired as much for his notoriety that would bolster his recruiting and was assigned to his native Tidewater region in Virginia.
His biggest catch was 5-star Tony Grimes, who entered the transfer portal after his third season and will play his fourth and perhaps fifth at Texas A&M. Despite coming from Virginia Beach in Bly’s home area, Grimes and his family said Carolina didn’t use him the right way after he had modest three-year stats of 97 tackles, 1 interception and 1 sack.
Brown was effusive about Bly in his statement, calling him an “excellent coach” who will pursue other opportunities in the profession. It is not known whether Brown and Bly discussed him possibly moving to a full-time recruiting position, given his personality and contacts.
Let’s assume that Bly got the chance to stay in another capacity, as he is well within the “40-year commitment” since signing with UNC in 1996. Perhaps he will return after the dust settles on the defensive performance while he was here.
And don’t be surprised if there are others to go, as well.
Featured image via Inside Carolina/Jim Hawkins
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