As the coronavirus pandemic continues to alter the landscape of college athletics, UNC coaches are finding ways to adapt as athletes and staff remain away from campus.

“Obviously a lot of things that we love have been taken away from us, mainly the interaction with our staff and our players,” said football coach Mack Brown on the Carolina Insiders podcast. “There’s always a little grieving, a little depression sits in, a little anxiety for a lot of different people when stuff like this happens.”

UNC’s campuses has remained largely empty since the coronavirus pandemic hit North Carolina and the United States. Students were encouraged to stay away from Chapel Hill and classes for the spring and summer semesters were moved online.

Normally, summer would mean the conclusion of spring sports like lacrosse and baseball in addition to football recruiting camps. Now, all of those have been canceled.

The UNC men’s lacrosse team was undefeated when its season was cut short. Head coach Joe Breschi said there’s lingering thoughts about what could have been possible with the team.

“You can’t help but think about the season that was cut short at 7-0 and top five in the country,” said Breschi.

Heading into her second season in Chapel Hill, Courtney Banghart would normally be using this time to recruit the next wave of players to the women’s basketball team. Instead, she’s using Zoom to interact virtually with her players and recruits.

This leaves her at a disadvantage on the recruiting trail as compared to other coaches.

“As a new coach here, the timing is trickiest for me because of the recruiting,” said Banghart. “Not able to show the great people, the great place in a three-dimensional format, has forced us to be creative.”

While the coronavirus pandemic has forced students off campus, all three coaches said that their players have been working hard during this strange and stressful offseason.

“The players have been amazing with their work ethic, taking their classes online and being with their families,” said Brown.

Banghart echoed that statement, saying her team has used this time to play team-building games on Zoom. The men’s lacrosse team — which has over 50 players on the roster — has been holding virtual meetings in addition to one-on-one meetings with coaches.

As the fall inches closer, UNC officials have remained adamant that students will be able to return to campus when the semester begins.

Last week, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced a modified fall semester schedule that will have classes start early and end before Thanksgiving. The schedule was changed in order to avoid a potential second wave of coronavirus that would hit in the winter.

When students do return to campus, coach Brown acknowledged that there will be safety and social distancing restrictions in place.

“This is going to be different. It’s not the same. And if we want to be back in school and have our sports, we’ve got to follow the guidelines, we have to take this seriously,” said Brown. “If you’re someone who doesn’t want to wear a mask, you’re not wearing it for you. You’re wearing it for that person who does want to wear it. You have that responsibility.”

Brown said he talked with special teams coordinator Jovan Dewitt — who battled throat cancer in 2019 —  to make sure Dewitt was okay with returning to campus.

As coaches prepare to return to campus, Breschi said they’ve been able to lean on each other for help and support.

“We are so fortunate to have such a tight-knit group of coaches at Carolina who are always willing to open their doors and spend some time with our student-athletes and recruits,” he said.

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Watch the complete conversation with Mack Brown, Courtney Banghart and Joe Breschi from the Carolina Insiders podcast:

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