Run game coordinator and tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens will lead the UNC football program as its interim head coach, the school announced on Sunday. Kitchens will lead the Tar Heels in their bowl game, which will be announced next weekend.
“Freddie Kitchens is an incredibly talented coach who is respected by our student-athletes and staff,” said Carolina director of athletics Bubba Cunningham. “He is dedicated to doing all he can to help lead our program through this transition, and we appreciate his willingness to take on this role.”
Kitchens has extensive experience as a coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. He served as interim and then full-time head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2018 and 2019 before a stint as tight ends coach with the New York Giants. He served as an analyst with South Carolina’s football program before coming to his current position at UNC in 2023. Kitchens’ other experience includes stops at LSU, North Texas, Mississippi State, the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals.
With Kitchens on staff, Carolina’s rushing attack has seen star Omarion Hampton post the second- and third-best rushing seasons in school history, including a 1,660-yard campaign in 2024. The tight end position has also been a major part of the UNC offense, with standouts John Copenhaver and Bryson Nesbit combining to catch 15 touchdown passes in the past two seasons.
Kitchens’ appointment comes after the firing of former UNC head coach Mack Brown, whose last official day on the job is Sunday, December 1. A national search is underway for Brown’s full-time replacement.
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