COVID-19 probably cost Carolina its Hall of Fame ball coach.

If the coronavirus had not crippled the nation at it has, the Tar Heels probably wouldn’t have a new baseball coach quite this soon. Due to the schedule, Mike Fox had some time off to see the light.

With the 2020 season cut short by the pandemic, Fox had the unexpected months to spend with his wife, children and grandchildren. To his surprise, he enjoyed the sudden change in lifestyle. So he stepped down and handed the reins to trusted aide Scott Forbes.

Fox is retiring in his early 60s, younger than his peers at UNC. Anson Dorrance turned 69 in April. Mack Brown will be there this month, Roy Williams just turned 70.

In the NBA, the Spurs Greg Popovich was seen in the bubble wearing a mask and now must wait until next summer to coach the Olympic team, when he will be 72.

There is an undercurrent in the sports world that iconic, long-term coaches stay in their games for too long. They make too much money, which is one of the complaints people hear about why sports have grown out of control. They clog up the coaching pipeline, keeping younger coaches from moving up and opening a spot on the staffs of blue blood programs in football and basketball.

If football is played in the ACC, Big 12 and SEC, which remains dubious, how safe will it be for seniors Mack Brown, Les Miles at Kansas and Nick Saban at Alabama? Their wives probably worry about that more than the ultra-competitive coaches in those leagues.

For Fox, the timing may have been just right. He had taken the Carolina baseball program into elite status. Before he arrived at his alma mater as head coach, the Diamond Heels had been to the college World Series four times, once with Fox at second base. He eventually led them to Omaha four straight years and seven times overall.

He never won that final game, but he became UNC’s all-time leader and discovered another way to enjoy his senior years. Congrats, coach, on a sterling career and your wonderful choice.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Coach Speak
Here is some of what Mack Brown said on Tuesday. The Tar Heels have not had a positive test in a month after 37 players, coaches and/or staff members proved positive in early July. To keep his players safe during practice, they are either wearing plastic double shields on their helmets or putting on masks […]
UNC's Indya Nivar Named ACC Player of the Week
After recording just the second triple-double in program history and helping the Tar Heels go 3-0 at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico, UNC’s Indya Nivar has been named the ACC Player of the Week. Indya Nivar – A Defensive Mastermind. 𝗔𝗖𝗖 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 pic.twitter.com/HqKAQh9ULO — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 1, 2025 Against […]
Chansky's Notebook: Postseason Reviews
Art Chansky reviews the negative feedback he's heard about Bill Belichick's first season as head football coach at UNC.
UNC Volleyball to Face No. 6 UTEP in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
The UNC volleyball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. The Tar Heels will face No. 6 seed UTEP in the tournament’s first round Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time in Madison, WI. It’s all about the Heels 🫡 pic.twitter.com/7FbGHNaxbw — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) December 1, 2025 The winner of […]
UNC and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Football Season
Yes, it was as bad as it looked. The Tar Heels went out with a whimper in their 42-19 shellacking at NC State Saturday night. It was the Wolfpack’s fifth straight win against UNC, tied for their longest such run in series history. Between wins No. 4 and 5, Carolina had seen a […]
UNC Men's Basketball at Kentucky (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
Carolina will travel to the Bluegrass State to face Kentucky in Rupp Arena Tuesday night as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. It will be the first time the Tar Heels have visited Lexington since the 2014-15 season. If you aren’t making the trip with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast […]
UNC Football's Season Ends with Blowout Loss at NC State
The UNC defense had no answer for NC State in the first half Saturday night, as the Wolfpack scored on all four of their first-half possessions on their way to a 42-19 win in Raleigh. It’s NC State’s fifth consecutive win in the series, which is tied for its longest in program history. “It was […]
UNC Women's Basketball Dispatches Columbia to Complete Cancun Sweep
Sophomore guard Lanie Grant scored 19 points and UNC pulled away in the second half to earn an 80-63 win against Columbia in the third and final game of the Cancun Challenge in Mexico Saturday. The win finished off a three-game, three-win sweep of the Challenge for the Tar Heels. Three days, Three 𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙎.@WellsFargo x […]
UNC Women's Basketball Wins Again in Cancun, Beats Kansas State
UNC made a season-high 14 three-pointers and led by as many as 21 points in an 85-73 win against Kansas State in the second of three games at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico Friday. ¡Vamos Heels!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/cmp8qX9b4r — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 28, 2025 Six different Tar Heels made at least one […]
Chansky's Notebook: Lessons Learned
Most teams must play good defense to help their offense. UNC did neither vs. Michigan State and suffered its first loss.
›