Cornerbacks coach Dre Bly and the UNC football program have mutually decided to part ways, the team announced on Wednesday. Bly had served in his role since November of 2018.

“We all love Dre Bly and appreciate what he means to the University of North Carolina as a Hall of Famer, an unbelievable advocate for the program, and an excellent coach,” head coach Mack Brown said in a statement. “Dre and I mutually agreed to part ways so that he could explore other opportunities in the coaching profession. We appreciate everything he’s done for the program over the last few years and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

Brown also coached Bly when he played for the Tar Heels in 1996 and 1997. Bly won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams and played in the NFL until 2010. His role with UNC was his first major coaching position.

Bly is originally from Chesapeake, VA, and helped Carolina sign several notable recruits from that area and Virginia at large, including five-star cornerback Tony Grimes. Grimes has since transferred to Texas A&M, one of a multitude of UNC defensive backs who entered the transfer portal in December.

Under Bly, Carolina’s secondary struggled mightily, ranking 116th in passing yards allowed out of 131 teams in FBS college football in 2022. The Tar Heels never allowed fewer than 230 passing yards per game in his four seasons.

According to a release, the program has begun a national search to identify and hire its next assistant coach.

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