Larry Fedora at 2018 ACC Media Days. Photo via Associated Press.

What was Larry Fedora thinking?

Long-time observers like to joke about the curse of Carolina football that derails a promising program. Bill Dooley left when Virginia Tech offered him the athletic directorship and UNC wouldn’t. Dick Crum was fired for wearing out his welcome. Mack Brown left when Texas gave him the ranch. And we all know why Butch Davis had to leave.

Now, Larry Fedora has uncharacteristically up-chucked his anger and frustration over any number of things. He did wonders when the program was still under NCAA scrutiny and he became one of the hottest young coaches in the country.

After going 3-9 last year, he’s been on a lot of hot-seat lists, and his outburst Wednesday at ACC Football Media Day has put his 2018 season, and perhaps his job, in further jeopardy. Let’s guess what might have pushed Fed to the brink.

Most recruiting rankings have Carolina in the middle of the ACC, which means in the lower half of the Power 5 conferences. How could it be harder after the NCAA cloud was lifted? Are other programs saying UNC is still a basketball school and a football also-ran, which was the rap for years?

The players were jubilant when Michael Jordan offered his brand to the football team. But a few knuckleheads on the squad apparently sold some Jordan shoes and apparel, which is a secondary NCAA violation. Can’t blame Fedora for going ballistic over the actions of some that will hurt the whole.

The “college football is under attack” charge is not new. Other coaches have claimed that for various reasons, but not as specifically damning as Fedora did at the media day. Whether he believes there is no direct proof of the link between head trauma and football, he cannot say that.

Especially coaching where Kevin Guskiewicz, Dean of Arts & Sciences and a Kenan Distinguished Professor, is a renown researcher at the forefront of CTE studies and football. That’s the faux pas that will be hardest for Fedora to get past with the UNC brass after taking this one way too far.

Fedora has been a great representative of the university. Let’s hope that equity buys him time to dig out of this hole.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
Analyze This: Duke Was Better
DURHAM – Carolina’s heart-pounding fourth-quarter loss to Duke Saturday night will be analyzed and picked over like an unsolved crime. Motives. Methods. Missing plays and players.   On a beautiful night in a stadium that has not seen so many people and so much passion in a long, long time, the Tar Heels could not […]
Recruiting Wars
Gio Run” has become a constant chant that builds and builds each Saturday as we anticipate Gio Bernard accelerating through a hole and with one cut, he’s off to the races.  So it wasn’t too surprising when the Hurricanes of Miami saw up close “Run Gio Run.”  Many times.  A monster performance in Gio’s […]
Hokie Smoked!
There’s a lot to make fun of about Virginia Tech. The Hokies have never won a National Championship in a varsity sport. They selected a hideous color scheme that was only chosen because no other team had it (or would ever want it, quite frankly). Cows outnumber people on their campus, and the number of […]
Art's Angle: All White Is All Right
Hey, Coach, can we wear all white the next two weeks in Dade County and Durham?   White was sure right Saturday, as Carolina kicked old nemesis Virginia Tech around antiseptic Kenan Stadium for a signature win that pretty much showed us the full measure of Larry Fedora’s football program.   The less-than-capacity crowd made […]
Inside Carolina: Fedora is Out
After the final Tar Heel football game of the season ended in a loss to NC State, today’s edition of “Inside Carolina” discusses the breaking news that coach Larry Fedora will not be returning next season. From the buyout of his contract to what’s next for the Tar Heels, it’s getting covered here.
Dakota's Notebook: Suspensions for UNC Football
Note: Art Chansky is gone for a few days, so digital content manager Dakota Moyer will be contributing for the Sports Notebook in his absence. Will Carolina football be able to replace the player suspended for Shoe-gate? This is Dakota with Tuesday’s sports notebook. UNC announced on Monday that 13 players would be facing suspension […]
Dakota's Notebook: Can UNC Return to a Bowl Game in 2018?
Note: Art Chansky is gone for a few days, so digital content manager Dakota Moyer will be contributing for the Sports Notebook in his absence. Can UNC football return to a bowl game in 2018? This is Dakota with Thursday’s Sports Notebook. After a disappointing 3-9 2017 season, the Tar Heels have a schedule that […]
Inside Carolina: UNC Football Storylines
With fall camp just around the corner, Inside Carolina examines the latest storylines surrounding the UNC football team. How will the latest NCAA scandal involving players selling shoes impact the 2018 season? Which players will be suspended when the Tar Heels travel to play Cal? Lastly, which quarterback will be under center for game one? […]
Saving Football with Larry Fedora, starring Nicholas Cage
UNC head coach Larry Fedora took center stage at the annual ACC Kickoff event, proclaiming that the game of football was “under attack.” “Oh yes, I fear that the game will get pushed so far to one extreme that you won’t recognize the game 10 years from now,” Fedora said. “That’s what I worry about. […]
Chansky's Notebook: Terrible Timing
What was Larry Fedora thinking? Long-time observers like to joke about the curse of Carolina football that derails a promising program. Bill Dooley left when Virginia Tech offered him the athletic directorship and UNC wouldn’t. Dick Crum was fired for wearing out his welcome. Mack Brown left when Texas gave him the ranch. And we […]
›