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The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
in the sport of
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
or
Gridiron Football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...
. The Tar Heels play in the
Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(FBS) of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA) and the
Coastal Division The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
of the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
(ACC). North Carolina has played in 37 bowl games in its history and won three Southern Conference championships and five Atlantic Coast Conference titles. Thirty Tar Heel players have been honored as first-team All-Americas on 38 occasions. Carolina had 32 All-Southern Conference selections when it played in that league until 1952 and since joining the ACC in 1953, has had 174 first-team All-ACC choices. Since joining the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
in
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...
, the team has won five conference championships, with the most recent title coming in
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
. One very important contribution to the game of football by Carolina is the modern use of the forward pass; they were the first college team to use the play in 1895. Bob Quincy notes in his 1973 book ''They Made the Bell Tower Chime''
John Heisman John William Heisman (October 23, 1869 – October 3, 1936) was a player and coach of American football, baseball, and basketball, as well as a sportswriter and actor. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College, Buchtel College ...
, a noted historian, wrote 30 years later that, indeed, the Tar Heels had given birth to the forward pass against the Bulldogs (UGA). It was conceived to break a scoreless deadlock and give UNC a 6–0 win. The Tar Heels were in a punting situation and a Georgia rush seemed destined to block the ball. The punter, with an impromptu dash to his right, tossed the ball and it was caught by
George Stephens George Stephens may refer to: *George Stephens (playwright) (1800–1851), English author and dramatist *George Stephens (philologist) (1813–1895), British archaeologist and philologist, who worked in Scandinavia * George Washington Stephens, Sr. ...
, who ran 70 yards for a touchdown." The program has long been overshadowed by the school's powerhouse men's basketball team and the "academic-athletic" scandal in which paper classes yielded inflated grades to maintain athlete eligibility. While not a consistent football powerhouse, the Carolina football program has had intermittent success and has featured a number of players who have gone on to play in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
, including
Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959), nicknamed "L.T.", is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as an outside linebacker for the New York Giants ( 1981–1993) in the National Football League (NF ...
, Charlie Justice,
Chris Hanburger Christian G. Hanburger, Jr. (born August 13, 1941) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire 14-year career with the Washington Redskins, from 1965 through 1978, and was elected to t ...
,
Ken Willard Kenneth Henderson Willard (born July 14, 1943) is a former American football running back/fullback in the National Football League (NFL), where he was a four-time Pro-Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1960s. College career He attended ...
, Don McCauley, William Fuller,
Harris Barton Harris Scott Barton (born April 19, 1964) is a fund manager and a former All-Pro American football offensive tackle who played for the San Francisco 49ers. Early life Harris Scott Barton was born in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and is Jewish. Both ...
,
Jeff Saturday Jeffrey Bryant Saturday (born June 18, 1975) is an American football coach and former center who is the interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of North Ca ...
,
Alge Crumpler Algernon Darius Crumpler (; born December 23, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He pla ...
,
Willie Parker William Everett Parker Jr. (born November 11, 1980) is an American former football running back who played for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for North Carolina, he ...
, Greg Ellis,
Dré Bly Donald André Bly (born May 22, 1977) is a former American football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played college football for the University of North Carolina (UNC), and earned All-American ...
,
Julius Peppers Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, ...
,
Hakeem Nicks Hakeem Amir Nicks (born January 14, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at North Carolina, and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Nicks has also played for t ...
,
T.J. Yates Taylor Jonathan Yates (born May 28, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who is currently the wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth ...
,
Mitch Trubisky Mitchell David Trubisky (born August 20, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted second overall by the Chicago ...
, and
Sam Howell Sam Howell (born September 16, 2000) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina, setting school records for most touchdown passes in a si ...
.


History


Early history (1888–1958)

The University of North Carolina fielded its first football team in 1888. The Tar Heels played four games with a final record of 1–3. The team captains for the 1888 season were Bob Bingham and Steve Bragaw. The game against Wake Forest was the first in the state, and the first against Trinity the first "scientific" game in the state. Ergo, one or the other is the first intercollegiate game in North Carolina. Between the first two games played in 1888 and next two games played in 1889 Princeton star
Hector Cowan Hector William "Hec" Cowan (July 12, 1863 – October 19, 1941) was an American football player and coach, and an ordained Presbyterian minister. He played college football at Princeton University from 1885 to 1889. He was team captain for Pri ...
traveled south and trained the team. At the beginning of 1889, UNC played two games with a final record of 1–1. The team captains for the 1889 season were Lacy Little and Steve Bragaw.
William A. Reynolds William Ayres Reynolds (December 30, 1874 – August 10, 1928) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played scrub football at Princeton University, serving as team captain in 1894, and served as the head football ...
coached the Tar Heels for four seasons. In 1897, Carolina played ten games with a final record of 7–3. The team captain for the 1897 season was Arthur Belden. In 1898, the Tar Heels played nine games with a final record of 9–0. The team captain for the 1898 season was Frank O. Rogers. The team claimed a Southern championship. The season opened with an 18–0 defeat of the
Guilford Quakers The Guilford Quakers are the athletic teams that represent Guilford College, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States in NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Quakers compete as members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. ...
.
Charles Baskerville Charles Baskerville (July 18, 1870 – January 28, 1922) was an American chemist. He announced the discovery of two new elements which claimed to have separated from thorium. Carolinium and berzelium later were identified to be identical with ...
was umpire. The starting lineup was Tate (left end), Shull (left tackle), Miller (left guard), Cunningham (center), Cromartie (right guard), Bennett (Right tackle), Klotz (right end), Rogers (quarterback), Howell (left halfback), Gregory (right halfback), Graves (fullback). In the second week of play, the Tar Heels defeated the in-state rival North Carolina A&M 34–0. Against the Greensboro Athletic Association, UNC won 11–0 which was followed by a victory over Oak Ridge by a score of 11–0. Touchdowns were made by Bennett, Gregory, Copeland, Shull, and Howell in a 28–6 win over V. P. I. After beating
Davidson Davidson may refer to: * Davidson (name) * Clan Davidson, a Highland Scottish clan * Davidson Media Group * Davidson Seamount, undersea mountain southwest of Monterey, California, USA * Tyler Davidson Fountain, monument in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA * ...
11–0, UNC traveled to
Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...
to take on
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. the Tar Heels blew out the
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
53–0.
Tick Tichenor Walker Reynolds "Tick" Tichenor (January 26, 1877 – November 16, 1935) was a college football player, coach, and official, as well as a sportswriter and attorney. Tichenor was a quarterback for John Heisman's Auburn Tigers of Auburn Univer ...
wrote "Such a crush defeat as Georgia sustained at the hands of North Carolina today is almost unparalleled in football". The starting lineup was Klotz (left end), Shull (left tackle), Cromartie (left guard), Cunningham (center), Phifer (right guard), Bennett (Right tackle), Gregoy (right end), Rodgers (quarterback), Austin (left halfback), McRae (right halfback), Graves (fullback). After defeating
John Heisman John William Heisman (October 23, 1869 – October 3, 1936) was a player and coach of American football, baseball, and basketball, as well as a sportswriter and actor. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College, Buchtel College ...
's
Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
29–0, UNC beat rival
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
6–2, its first win since the first year of the
South's Oldest Rivalry The South's Oldest Rivalry is the name given to the North Carolina–Virginia football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Virginia Cavaliers football team of the University of Virginia and the North ...
. The safety was made just as time called, and Howell scored for UNC. In 1899, UNC played eleven games with a final record of 7–3–1. The team captain for the 1899 season was Samuel Shull. In 1900, Carolina played eight games with a final record of 4–1–3. The team captain for the 1900 season was
Frank M. Osborne Francis Moore "Farmer" Osborne (January 29, 1879 – November 16, 1956) was a college football player and coach as well as a reverend; once chaplain for Sewanee: The University of the South. University of North Carolina He was a prominent End (gr ...
. From 1897 to 1900, Reynolds posted a 27–7–4 record before departing the Tar Heels to coach
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
.
Herman Olcott Herman Parker "Bo" Olcott (January 1, 1879 – November 3, 1929) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Yale University, where he was an All-American in 1900 at center. Olcott was the head football coach at ...
was the head coach for the Tar Heels for two seasons, 1902 and 1903. He compiled an 11–4–3 record. In 1895 and from 1913 to 1915, the Tar Heels were coached by
Thomas Trenchard Thomas Gawthrop "Doggie" Trenchard (May 3, 1874 – October 16, 1943) was an All-American football player at Princeton University in 1893 and a college football head coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of P ...
, who posted a 26–9–2 record in those four seasons. His best season was a 10–1 1914 season. Brothers
Bob Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) ...
and
Bill Fetzer William McKinnon Fetzer (June 24, 1884 – May 3, 1959) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Davidson College (1915–1918), North Carolina State University (1919–1920), and the Univer ...
served as co-head coaches for the Tar Heels from 1921 to 1925, posting a 30–12–4 overall record. Bob would go on to serve as Carolina's first athletics director from 1923 to 1952.
Chuck Collins Chuck Collins (born October 19, 1959) is an author and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, where he directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good. He is also co-founder of Wealth for Common Good. He is ...
served as head coach for the Tar Heels for eight seasons, the longest of any coach to that time in Tar Heel history. His record in Chapel Hill was 38–31–9, his best season being a 9–1 record in 1929, during which Carolina defeated Wake Forest,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
,
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
, VPI,
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
,
Davidson Davidson may refer to: * Davidson (name) * Clan Davidson, a Highland Scottish clan * Davidson Media Group * Davidson Seamount, undersea mountain southwest of Monterey, California, USA * Tyler Davidson Fountain, monument in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA * ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
.
Carl Snavely Carl Gray "The Grey Fox" Snavely (July 30, 1894 – July 12, 1975) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Bucknell University (1927–1933), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1934–193 ...
, nicknamed "The Grey Fox" for his grey suits he would wear on game day, served two stints as the Tar Heels head football coach. He first came to Chapel Hill from Bucknell. He departed after the 1935 season to accept the head football coach position at
Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
but returned in 1945. Snavely then departed again after the 1952 season to accept the head football coach position at
Washington University Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
. His final record at UNC was 59–35–5 and he was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
as a coach in 1965. A proponent of the
single wing In American football, American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation was a precursor to the modern Spread offense, spread or shotgun formation. The term usually connotes formations in which the snap (football), snap is tossed rather th ...
offense, Snavely's teams were known as some of the quickest in the south. His 1946 and 1948 teams reached the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
but lost, finishing ranked No. 9 and No. 3, respectively. Those teams posted 8–2–1 and 9–1 records, respectively. Snavely's 1949 team finished 7–4, lost the Cotton Bowl and ranked No. 16 in the final polls.
Raymond Wolf Raymond Bernard Wolf (July 15, 1904 – October 6, 1979), nicknamed "Bear" Wolf, was an American football and baseball player and coach. Wolf was a native of Illinois and an alumnus of Texas Christian University (TCU), where he played college f ...
came to Carolina from his post as
TCU TCU may stand for: Education * Tanzania Commission for Universities, regulatory body for Universities in Tanzania * Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas ** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic programs of the school * Tok ...
defensive line coach. In 1936, the Tar Heels finished with an 8–2 record. Wolf's 1937 Tar Heels finished 7–1–1. The next year saw UNC finish 6–2–1. The Tar Heels would enjoy their best season under Wolf's tutelage in 1939, finishing 8–1–1. In 1940, the Tar Heels finished 6–4. The 1941 season saw Carolina finish 3–7, which would result in Wolf's dismissal. Wolf's overall record in the six seasons he was head coach was 38–17–3, with most of his success coming with players that Snavely recruited.
Jim Tatum Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James (given name), James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy (given name), Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * Jim (comics), ...
served two stints as head football coach at his alma mater. He enlisted in the Navy for
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and left the team but returned in 1956. His overall record at UNC is 19–17–3.
George T. Barclay George Thomas Barclay (May 24, 1910 – October 6, 1997) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Washington and Lee University from 1949 to 1951 and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel ...
, another UNC alum, was promoted from assistant coach to head coach following Snavely's second departure. Barclay struggled as UNC's head football coach, posting an 11–18–1 record in his three seasons before resigning. The most notable part of Barclay's tenure is that the Tar Heels helped charter the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
in all sports in 1953. Tatum was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
as a coach in 1984, primarily for his tenure as head football coach at
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. Tatum died unexpectedly in the summer of 1958 from a rickettsial disease.


Jim Hickey era (1959–1966)

Jim Hickey was promoted from assistant coach to head coach after Tatum's death. In Hickey's first season, the Tar Heels finished with a 5–5 record. The season began with a close loss to No. 18 Clemson and another loss to Notre Dame before Carolina defeated
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
and No. 19
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
. After a loss to
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
and Wake Forest, the Tar Heels lost to No. 20
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
by a score of 29–7. Carolina then lost to
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
before shutting out both
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. In 1960, Carolina finished 3–7. The Tar Heels defeated Notre Dame, No. 6
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
and
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and lost to
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
,
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, Wake Forest,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, No. 11
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, Clemson and
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. Hickey's third season saw Carolina improve to 5–5. That year, Carolina faced two ranked teams, defeating No. 10 Maryland and losing to No. 4
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
. In 1962, the Tar Heels finished 3–7. Hickey's best season was a 9–2 1963 season in which the Tar Heels won the
1963 Gator Bowl The 1963 Gator Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Air Force Falcons and the North Carolina Tar Heels. Background This was the Falcons' first bowl game since 1959. The Tar Heels were co-champions of the Atlantic ...
and finished the season ranked No. 19 in the Coaches' Poll. They began the season with an 11–7 win over rival
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
on September 21. After losing a shutout to
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
by a score of 31–0, Carolina won their next five; defeating Wake Forest in a shutout 21–0,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
14–7,
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
by a score of 31–10,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
in a shutout by a score of 7-0 and
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
by a score of 28–7. After their five-game winning streak was snapped on November 9 with an 11–7 loss to Clemson, the Tar Heels closed the season with three straight wins, defeating
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
by a score of 27–16, archrival
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
by a score of 16-14 and
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
in the
1963 Gator Bowl The 1963 Gator Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Air Force Falcons and the North Carolina Tar Heels. Background This was the Falcons' first bowl game since 1959. The Tar Heels were co-champions of the Atlantic ...
in a shutout, prevailing 35–0. In 1964, Carolina slipped to 5–5, which was followed by a 4–6 campaign in 1965 and a campaign in 1966. Hickey left UNC to accept the position of athletics director at the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
after the 1966 season. He spent eight seasons as the Tar Heels head football coach and compiled a 36–45 record during his time in Chapel Hill.


Bill Dooley era (1967–1977)

Bill Dooley William Gerald Dooley (May 19, 1934 – August 9, 2016) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1967–1977), Virginia Polytechni ...
, brother of former
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
head football coach
Vince Dooley Vincent Joseph Dooley (September 4, 1932 – October 28, 2022) was an American college football coach. He was the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs from 1964 to 1988, as well as the University of Georgia's (UGA) athletic director from 1979 t ...
and uncle of former
Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...
and
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
head football coach Derek Dooley, came to North Carolina from his post as an assistant coach at
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. Dooley enjoyed success at UNC, compiling a 69–53–2 record in 11 seasons. Six of those seasons were bowl appearances, five losses and one win. In 1967, the Tar Heels struggled to a 2–8 record, with wins over Maryland and Duke. In 1968, Carolina showed a little improvement, finishing 3–7 with wins over Vanderbilt, No 7
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and Duke. In 1969, Carolina finished 5–5, their best season in five years. Dooley's 1970 team went 8–4, finishing with a
Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially re ...
loss to
Arizona State Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
. The next season, 1971, was a 9–3 season that was capped with a
Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
loss to
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
and a No. 18 ranking in the Coaches' Poll. Dooley became the first Tar Heels coach to win 11 games in a single season in 1972, going 11–1 with a victory over
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
in the
Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. ...
, and rankings of No. 14 and No. 12 in the Coaches' and AP Polls. In 1973, Dooley's Tar Heels finished 4–7 with wins over William & Mary,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
and Wake Forest. The 1974 Tar Heels finished 7–5 and lost to
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...
in the
Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. ...
. In 1975, North Carolina finished 3–7–1. Dooley's 1976 team finished 9–3 with a loss to
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
in the
Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially re ...
and the 1977 team finished 8–3–1 with a loss to
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
in the
Liberty Bowl The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic City ...
. Those teams finished with rankings of No. 14 and No. 17 in the Coaches' and AP Polls, respectively. Dooley departed after the 1977 season to accept a unique opportunity as both the athletics director and head football coach at
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
. Dooley was the winningest head coach in Carolina football history until he was surpassed by Dick Crum in 1987.


Dick Crum era (1978–1987)

Dick Crum was hired away from Miami (OH) to replace Dooley. Crum brought with him a tough, rigid philosophy of an aggressive offense powered by a strong running game and a defensive scheme that emphasized ball control and fundamentals. In his first season, Crum led the 1978 Tar Heels to a 5–6 record, which included losses to No. 18 Maryland, No. 9 Pittsburgh and No. 15 Clemson. In 1979, the Tar Heels finished 8–3–1 with a win over
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
in the
Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
to finish the season. Crum enjoyed his best season at Carolina in 1980, leading the Heels to a record of 11–1, a
Bluebonnet Bowl The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 ...
win over
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and an ACC Championship, Carolina's last to date. In 1981, the Heels compiled a 10–2 record and finished the season by beating
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
in the
Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
. That would be Carolina's last season of double digit wins for 13 years. The next two seasons saw Carolina finish 8–4. After the 1982 season, Carolina upset
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
in the
Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. ...
. The 1979-1982 Carolina teams were the first in the ACC to go to 4 consecutive bowl games, winning all 4. In 1983, they would lose to
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
in the
Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially re ...
. In 1984, Carolina would finish 5–5–1. They would post another five-win campaign the next year, along with six losses. Carolina would go 7–4–1 with an
Aloha Bowl The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision (then known as Division I-A) college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. History The Aloha Bowl was established in 1982 by Mackay ...
loss to
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
to end the season in 1986, but Carolina would finish 5–6 in 1987, increasing the unhappiness fans and administration had slowly built over the past few years of mediocrity and inconsistency. Crum resigned under pressure as Tar Heels head coach after ten seasons. Crum led the Tar Heels to four bowl victories in six bowl appearances. Crum departed as the winningest head coach in Carolina football history, with a 72–41–3 record. Notable players coached by Crum at UNC include Lawrence Taylor, Harris Barton,
Kelvin Bryant Kelvin LeRoy Bryant (born September 26, 1960) is a former American football running back in the National Football League and the United States Football League. High school Bryant played two years of varsity football at Tarboro High School in Ta ...
, Amos Lawrence, Donnell Thompson, Darrell Nicholson, Buddy Curry, Steve Streater, and Reuben Davis.


Mack Brown 1.0 (1988–1997)

Mack Brown William Mack Brown (born August 27, 1951) is an American college football coach. He is currently in his second stint as the head football coach for the University of North Carolina, where he first coached from 1988 until departing in 1997, whe ...
was hired away from
Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
as Crum's replacement. He was the Tar Heel head coach for ten seasons. Brown's first two teams finished with identical 1–10 records, the worst two seasons that the Tar Heels have suffered on the field in modern times. However, the next two years saw a relatively quick return to respectability. In 1990, the Tar Heels finished 6–4–1. By comparison, the Tar Heels had won only seven games in the previous three years. Included in the 1990 total was a tie of
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
that proved to be the Yellow Jackets' only non-win that season en route to a share of the national championship. In 1991, the Tar Heels finished 7–4, narrowly missing a bowl bid. Everything came together for the Tar Heels in 1992. They finished 8–3 in the regular season, good enough for second in the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
, and capped the season with a victory over
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...
in the
Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially re ...
, they finished the season at 9–3. The Peach Bowl was the program's first bowl appearance since 1986, first bowl win since 1982, and first appearance in a final Top 25 poll since 1982. That season was the start of UNC's most successful period since the Charlie Justice era in the late 1940s. Brown coached the Tar Heels to five consecutive bowl games, including UNC's only two
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
bowl games in more than half a century (or three, if one counts the 1992–93 Peach Bowl, which was played the day after New Year's to avoid a conflict with the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
). The Tar Heels were ranked in the AP Top 25 every week from October 1992 through the start of the 1995 season. They finished in the final rankings in four out of five years, including two straight appearances in the top 10. Carolina won 10 regular-season games in 1993, only the third time the Tar Heels accomplished the feat, with the only losses coming to No. 1
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, No. 21
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in the regular season and No. 18
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
in the
Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
. In 1994, Brown led the Tar Heels to an 8–4 record with a loss to
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
in the
Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. ...
to cap the year. UNC lost to No. 3 Florida State, No. 25 Virginia, and No. 24 Clemson. Brown's seventh season in 1995 saw the Tar Heels finish 7–5 with a victory over
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
in the
Carquest Bowl The Cheez-It Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Clas ...
to finish the season. In 1996 and 1997, the Tar Heels finished with 10 and 11 wins, respectively. Brown would leave North Carolina in 1997 for the head coaching position at
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. Largely due to
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
joining the league in 1992 and their dominance over the college landscape in the 1990's, Brown was unable to win an ACC title in his first tenure despite leading the team during one of its most prolonged stretches of football success. Brown's tenure was also known for the rise in popularity in the Tar Heel football program that, while respectable in its own right, was overshadowed by the Tar Heel's national powerhouse men's basketball program. Games at
Kenan Memorial Stadium Kenan Memorial Stadium is a stadium located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is the home field of the North Carolina Tar Heels. It is primarily used for football. The stadium opened in 1927 and holds 50,500 people. It is located near the center ...
were almost always sold out, highlighted by the 62,000 that showed to watch the Tar Heels' "Judgement Day" game against
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
in 1997, the largest crowd at a regular season college football game in the history of the state of North Carolina. Brown also led an effort that resulted in the upgrading of UNC's football facilities and the expansion of Kenan Memorial Stadium. Notable players who played for Brown in his first stint at North Carolina include
Jeff Saturday Jeffrey Bryant Saturday (born June 18, 1975) is an American football coach and former center who is the interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of North Ca ...
, Greg Ellis and
Dré Bly Donald André Bly (born May 22, 1977) is a former American football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played college football for the University of North Carolina (UNC), and earned All-American ...
.


Carl Torbush era (1998–2000)

Carl Torbush Carl William Torbush Jr. (born October 11, 1951) is former American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1987, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1997 to 2000, and Ea ...
was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach of the UNC Tar Heels football program following Brown's departure. Torbush's hiring was praised by many UNC fans and alums, who felt Torbush's performance as defensive coordinator was superb and that an in-program hire was the best way to maintain the momentum generated by Mack Brown. Despite the loss of most of the team's defensive stars of the last three years, the Tar Heels were expected to pick up right where they left off in 1998. However, they never really recovered from an unexpected loss to Miami (Ohio) to open the 1998 season, during which Carolina went 6-5 and barely managed to qualify for a bowl appearance. Torbush led the Tar Heels to the
Las Vegas Bowl The Las Vegas Bowl is an NCAA Division I FBS annual post-season college football bowl game held in the Las Vegas area. First played in 1992, the bowl was originally held at the 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada before moving to the ...
, where they defeated
San Diego State San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
by a score of 20–13. The next year was an unmitigated disaster. The team was riddled with injuries, the most devastating one occurring when quarterback
Ronald Curry Ronald Antonio Curry (born May 28, 1979) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the S ...
tore his
Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...
. The Tar Heels were so thin at quarterback that they were forced to convert safety
Antwon Black Antonio Williams (born October 25, 1986), better known by his stage name Antwon, is an American rapper based in San Jose, California. In 2013, he was included on ''Complex''s "15 Unsigned Rappers Who Should Get a Deal After SXSW" list. He was als ...
to quarterback, but he was lost after two games to
mononucleosis Infectious mononucleosis (IM, mono), also known as glandular fever, is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Most people are infected by the virus as children, when the disease produces few or no symptoms. In young adult ...
. After starting the season 1–1, the Tar Heels didn't win another game until beating
North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
in November. They finished 3–8, UNC's first losing season since Mack Brown's two consecutive 1–10 seasons in 1988 and 1989. School officials actually planned to fire him after the season, but an outpouring of support from players and fans led to a change of heart. He was, however, forced to fire several members of his staff, including offensive coordinator Steve Marshall, who had been criticized for being too conservative in his play calling. The Tar Heels rebounded to finish 6–5 in 2000, but it wasn't enough to save Torbush's job; he was fired at the end of the season. Torbush left Carolina with a record of 17–18. Notable players who played for Torbush at UNC are
Julius Peppers Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, ...
,
Alge Crumpler Algernon Darius Crumpler (; born December 23, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He pla ...
and Jeff Reed.


John Bunting era (2001–2006)

John Bunting was hired by his alma mater as the Tar Heels head coach after the firing of Torbush despite no FBS coaching experience of any kind, assistant coaching or head coaching. In his first season, Bunting led the Tar Heels to an 8–5 record, which included a win over
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
41–9. It was the Tar Heels' first win over a team ranked in the top 10 of a major media poll; the Seminoles were ranked sixth in the AP Poll at the time. They closed the season with a victory over
Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...
in the
2001 Peach Bowl The 2001 Peach Bowl featured the North Carolina Tar Heels and Auburn Tigers. Background North Carolina, in the first season under new head coach John Bunting, started their season by losing the first three games of the year. However, they rebound ...
. However, his teams since were highly inconsistent. In 2002, Bunting's Tar Heels finished 3–9. That was followed by a 2–10 campaign in 2003. In 2004, the Tar Heels finished 6–6. UNC defeated
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
31–28 on a last-second field goal by
Connor Barth Connor Thomas Barth (born April 11, 1986) is a former American football placekicker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undraft ...
during the 2004 season; the Hurricanes were ranked fourth at the time in the AP poll. The Tar Heels capped the 2004 season with a loss in the
Continental Tire Bowl The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2002. The game currently features a matchup between a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (AC ...
to
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
by a score of 37–24. In 2005, North Carolina finished 5–6. The team was routed during the 2005 season 69-14 by
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
, one of the worst losses in modern Tar Heel history. During his final season (2006), his team had a record of 3–9, while averaging over 23 fewer points per game than their opponents. Bunting was fired by UNC athletics director
Dick Baddour Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * Dicks (album), ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * Dick (film), ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * Dick (song), "Dick" (song), a 2019 song ...
on October 22, 2006. He was allowed to finish out the 2006 season. Bunting's last home victory on November 18, 2006, against
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
, broke a seven-game losing streak, and he was able to close out his career one week later with a 45–44 win over
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. Bunting compiled an overall record of 27–45 over six seasons.


Butch Davis era (2007–2010)

Former
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
head football coach
Butch Davis Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis Jr. (born November 17, 1951) is an American football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at Florida International University. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, he became an assistant col ...
was hired as the Tar Heels 32nd head football coach in late 2006. Davis was a big-name coach whose hiring was praised nationwide. Davis originally signed a seven-year deal worth approximately $1.86 million per season, with a base salary of $286,000. Additionally, he received $25,000 a year in expenses and a supplement from the Educational Foundation (Ram's Club) that ranged from $1 million in 2007 to $1.3 million in 2013. Davis took over a program that had seen three winning seasons in the past eight years and had won more than six games in a season two other times. During his first season as head coach, the 2007 Tar Heels finished 4–8, with six of those losses coming by a touchdown or less and two coming against teams ranked in the top 15 at the time. Despite a losing record in 2007, North Carolina fans averaged over 57,000 fans in
Kenan Stadium Kenan Memorial Stadium is a stadium located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is the home field of the North Carolina Tar Heels. It is primarily used for football. The stadium opened in 1927 and holds 50,500 people. It is located near the center ...
during the season, the highest average attendance since the
Mack Brown William Mack Brown (born August 27, 1951) is an American college football coach. He is currently in his second stint as the head football coach for the University of North Carolina, where he first coached from 1988 until departing in 1997, whe ...
era. The 2007 match-up against
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
saw a crowd of 61,000, the second-largest in school history. During the season, suspicion mounted that Davis would leave UNC after his first year if the head coaching job at his alma mater, Arkansas, opened up. The rumors grew louder when
Houston Nutt Houston Dale Nutt Jr. (born October 14, 1957) is a former American football player and coach. He currently works for CBS Sports as a college football studio analyst. Previously, he served as the head football coach at Murray State University ( ...
was forced to resign at Arkansas, but Davis denied he was leaving. On November 21, 2007, Davis agreed to a one-year contract extension, along with a raise of about $291,000 annually. Davis said in a statement that one year at UNC convinced him that this was where he wanted to be, and that he intended to have "a long and successful career in Chapel Hill." Athletics director
Dick Baddour Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * Dicks (album), ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * Dick (film), ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * Dick (song), "Dick" (song), a 2019 song ...
said he could not release all the details of the contract until it was approved by the school's board of trustees, but did say the base salary would rise $29,000, the expenses would go up $5,000, and Davis’ supplemental income would go up $100,000.
2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team The 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by second ...
were expected to be much improved from the previous year, with most outlets picking them to finish second in the Coastal Division. In their second game of the season they routed the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on the road 44–12. This was their first victory outside the state of North Carolina since 2002. On October 4, the Heels defeated the then 24th-ranked
Connecticut Huskies The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, located in Storrs. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big East Conference. The university's fo ...
38–12 for their first victory over a ranked non-conference opponent in 11 years. As a result, the Tar Heels were ranked 22nd in the weekly
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
rankings, their first appearance in a major poll in seven years. The following Saturday, the Tar Heels defeated the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...
, their first regular-season win as a ranked team in 11 years. A crowd of 60,500, third-largest in school history, watched the Tar Heels play the Fighting Irish. A 16–13 overtime loss at
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
on October 18 briefly knocked the Heels out of the rankings, but after a 45–24 victory over
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
on October 25, the team became bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004. The win also resulted in the team being ranked in the
Bowl Championship Series The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
rankings for the first time since the BCS began in 1998. A week later, they defeated
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
to clinch their first winning season since 2001, and only their fourth since Brown left the school after the 1997 season. The Tar Heels lost three of their last four games, including a loss in the Meineke Car Care Bowl to
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
. Davis led the 2009 Tar Heels to another 8–4 regular season record and a second straight bowl appearance, the first time since the 1997–1998 seasons that UNC had made consecutive bowl appearances. A loss to North Carolina State in the final game of the season sent them back to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. UNC faced the
Pittsburgh Panthers The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams representing the University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, facu ...
on December 26, 2009, and lost for the second straight year, giving UNC another 8–5 final record. Additionally, Davis led Carolina football to its 6th consecutive year of graduating more than 75% of its football players. The America Football Coaches Association recognized fewer than 30 public universities for superior graduation rates that year, with UNC the only such institution in the state of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
. In July 2010, the NCAA began investigating violations involving improper benefits provided by agents to current players at UNC. In September 2010, the NCAA opened a second prong of its investigation, this time involving possible improper tutor involvement with UNC student-athletes. In response to the investigation, local and national sports columnists called for Davis' termination, but some North Carolina fans still supported the coach. A survey of UNC fans reflected strong support for Coach Davis despite the ongoing investigation. Thirteen UNC football players were suspended for the team's season opener in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
against
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
, and the Tar Heels lost the game 30–24. The Tar Heels later lost to ACC rivals
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
,
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
, and
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
, but won their first game since 1981 in Virginia's Scott Stadium and gained their first win ever in FSU's Doak Campbell Stadium. In October 2010, wide receiver Greg Little, defensive tackle
Marvin Austin Marvin Austin Jr. (born January 10, 1989) is a former American football nose tackle. He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Austin also played for the Miami D ...
, and defensive end Robert Quinn were ruled permanently ineligible after it was discovered they improperly accepted gifts from sports agents. Five other players were found guilty of accepting improper benefits and/or inappropriate academic assistance. On July 27, 2011, Davis was fired by UNC chancellor
Holden Thorp Herbert Holden Thorp (born August 16, 1964) is an American chemist, professor and entrepreneur. He was the tenth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, assuming the position on July 1, 2008, succeeding James Moeser, and, a ...
amid an NCAA investigation of academic misconduct and allegations players receiving improper benefits from agents. Davis left Carolina after compiling a 28–23 record. Thorp said the move was necessary to restore confidence in UNC's integrity. On September 19, 2011, in response to an NCAA notice of allegations, Davis was never mentioned in the NCAA inquiry and had no involvement in the investigation. North Carolina subsequently vacated all of its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons after retroactively declaring Austin, Quinn and Little ineligible. As a result, these are "officially" North Carolina's only winless seasons in the modern era. In 2013, Davis told
CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...
' Bruce Feldman that he believed his firing was an "overreaction" by Thorp, in the belief that "if he released me, maybe the investigation of the football program would go in a different direction." Around the same time, Baddour told Feldman that firing Davis "was not my recommendation." Baddour added that Thorp was well aware that he wanted Davis to remain as coach. ;NCAA investigation 2010–2011 In July 2010, it was reported that the program was being investigated by the NCAA due to possible connections with sport agents. The football program was also under investigation for academic fraud and a failure to properly monitor players, which the NCAA found to be true. Seven players from the UNC football program, including starters and once top recruits Greg Little and Marvin Austin, were reported to have accepted more than $27,000 in impermissible benefits in 2009 and 2010. Following an NCAA investigation into misconduct, in July 2011, head coach Butch Davis was fired and replaced by interim coach Everett Withers. Also, in September 2011, the program decided to vacate all its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons, reduce its scholarship athletes by 3, begin serving two years of probation, and pay a $50,000 fine. The NCAA later increased the penalties to a reduction of athletic scholarships by 15, three years of probation, and a post-season ban of one year.


Everett Withers era (2011)

Everett Withers Everett Rowe Withers (born June 15, 1963) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator for the Florida Atlantic Owls. He formerly served as the defensive c ...
was promoted from defensive coordinator to 33rd head coach of the Tar Heels football program for the 2011 season following Butch Davis' dismissal. Withers was the first
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
head coach in Tar Heels football history. With Withers leading the Tar Heels, UNC beat their first opponent, FCS school
James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
by a score of 42–10.
Bryn Renner Bryn Renner (born January 22, 1990) is an American football coach and former quarterback who was most recently the quarterbacks coach at FIU. He played college football at the University of North Carolina from 2009 to 2013 for head coaches Butch ...
set the single game school record for completion percentage at 95.7%. The Heels then beat
Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
24–22, holding the Scarlet Knights to one total yard rushing and 244 yards overall. The week after, the
South's Oldest Rivalry The South's Oldest Rivalry is the name given to the North Carolina–Virginia football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Virginia Cavaliers football team of the University of Virginia and the North ...
was resumed, as Carolina beat
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
by a score of 28–17. UNC rushed for 222 total yards for an average of 5.4 yards per carry. The Heels then traveled to
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
to play No. 25
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
, dropping this one 35–28. Georgia Tech had 312 yards rushing and 496 yards total on the day. Next the Heels played
East Carolina East Carolina University (ECU) is a public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a teacher training school, East Carolina has grown from its orig ...
beating them 35–20. The Heels then proceeded to beat the
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
by a score of 14–7.
Giovani Bernard Giovani Govan Bernard (born November 22, 1991) is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina, and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in t ...
became the first Tar Heel rusher in 27 years to rush for over 100 yards in four straight games. Bernard extended his streak of 100 yard rushing games to five in UNC's 30–24 loss to
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
. The Heels recovered an onside kick with under a minute to go, but time ran out before they could score. The Heels then traveled to
Clemson, South Carolina Clemson () is a city in Pickens and Anderson counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Clemson is home to Clemson University; in 2015, ''the Princeton Review'' cited the town of Clemson as ranking #1 in the United States for " town-and-gown" ...
to face the Clemson Tigers, losing 59–38. It was the second most points given up by the Tar Heels in their 405 ACC games, trailing only the 63 given up in a game against
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
in 2000. The next game was the
homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...
game for the Heels, and they beat Wake Forest 49–24. UNC racked up 506 total yards and caught four interceptions in the game. Next up for the Heels was the rivalry game with
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
in
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
, which the Heels lost 13–0. It was the Heels fifth straight loss to the Wolfpack, the first shutout in the series since 1960. Giovani Bernard did break the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season, but as a team the Heels were held to three total yards rushing. On a Thursday night in
Blacksburg, Virginia Blacksburg is an incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 44,826 at the 2020 census. Blacksburg, as well as the surrounding county, is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of V ...
the Heels lost to
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
24–21. Dwight Jones passed the 1,000 yard receiving mark for the season, making the 2011 Tar Heels the first team to have a 1,000 yard receiver and rusher in the same season. UNC closed out the regular season with a home win over arch-rival
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
, winning 37–21. Dwight Jones's 79 receptions and Bryn Renner's 23 TD passes set single season records for the Tar Heels. Withers led the Tar Heels to a 7–6 record in his only season, capped with a loss to
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
in the
Independence Bowl The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually each December at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bowl ...
. After Withers was thanked for his good service, he was informed that his contract would not be extended beyond the 2011 season.


Larry Fedora era (2012–2018)

Larry Fedora Herbert Lawrence Fedora (born September 10, 1962) is an American football coach and former player who is the former coach and general manager for the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL). He previously served as head c ...
was hired from
Southern Miss The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
in late 2011 as the Tar Heels' 34th head football coach, replacing Withers. In his first year as head coach, in a season that the UNC football team was ineligible for the ACC title (due to sanctions from Davis' tenure), a bowl game and a ranking in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, Fedora led the team to an 8–4 record. North Carolina had at least eight victories in four of the five years from 2008 to 2012. The eight wins in 2008 and 2009 were vacated due to NCAA penalty. The last time North Carolina had more than eight victories was in 1997. After starting the 2013 season 1–5, Fedora's Tar Heels rebounded to finish 5–1 in their final six regular season games and capped the season with a thrashing of
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
in the
Belk Bowl The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2002. The game currently features a matchup between a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) ...
to finish the season with a 7–6 record. After the 2013 season, offensive coordinator
Blake Anderson Blake Raymond Anderson (born March 2, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, producer, screenwriter, and fashion designer. Beginning in 2006, Anderson helped create and join the sketch-comedy troupe Mail Order Comedy, which produced online videos ...
left the Tar Heels to accept the head coaching position at
Arkansas State Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage l ...
. The Tar Heels went into the 2014 season with a new offensive coordinator,
Seth Littrell James Seth Littrell (born July 24, 1978) is an American football coach and former player. He was the head coach of the North Texas Mean Green football team from 2016–2022. Early life Littrell was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and attended Musko ...
. That year, the Tar Heels were never able to achieve much consistency on defense, giving up over 497 yards per game (111th in the nation, and fourth-worst among Power 5 teams) en route to a 6–6 regular season and a 40–21 loss to
Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
in the
2014 Quick Lane Bowl The 2014 Quick Lane Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the North Carolina Tar Heels played on December 26, 2014, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It was the first edition of the Quick La ...
. In an effort to address this, Fedora fired defensive coordinator
Vic Koenning Victor Emanuel Koenning Jr. (born February 26, 1960) is a former professional American football player, and current defensive coordinator at Louisiana–Monroe. He was the interim head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 20 ...
after the season and hired former
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
and
Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...
head coach
Gene Chizik Eugene C. Chizik Jr. (born December 28, 1961) is an American football coach who is currently the Assistant Head Coach for Defense at North Carolina. A veteran of the coaching ranks, Chizik previously was UNC's defensive coordinator for the 2015 ...
as defensive coordinator. In 2015, Fedora led the Tar Heels to an 11–1 regular season and the team's first ACC Coastal Division championship. The team also finished with a perfect 8–0 record in conference play and were ranked as high as No. 8 in the AP and Coaches' Polls, their highest ranking since 1997. In the
2015 ACC Championship Game The 2015 Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game was the eleventh football championship game for the Atlantic Coast Conference. It featured the Clemson Tigers, winners of the ACC's Atlantic Division, and the North Carolina Tar Heels, the winners of the A ...
, the Tar Heels lost to Clemson by a score of 45–37, despite a controversial onside kick penalty. The Tar Heels then lost in the
Russell Athletic Bowl The Cheez-It Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Clas ...
to Baylor 49–38. The Tar Heels finished the season 11–3 (8–0 ACC) and ranked 15th in the country, marking the team's first postseason Top 25 ranking since 1997. After the 2015 season, offensive coordinator
Seth Littrell James Seth Littrell (born July 24, 1978) is an American football coach and former player. He was the head coach of the North Texas Mean Green football team from 2016–2022. Early life Littrell was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and attended Musko ...
left Carolina to take the head coaching position at
North Texas North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wor ...
. In 2016, Fedora led the Tar Heels to an 8–5 (5–3) record. Carolina began the season with a loss to
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
in the
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an annual series of college football games played on the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I FBS season in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Peach Bowl, the event coincides with Labor Day weekend in the United ...
in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
by a score of 33–24. Carolina then reeled off four straight wins, which included an upset win over No. 12
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
in
Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...
by a score of 37–35 after a game-winning field goal as time expired, snapping the Seminoles' 22-game home winning streak. UNC then suffered an embarrassing home loss to
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
by a score of 34–3. After losing to
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
in the regular season finale, the Tar Heels, who were led by star quarterback
Mitch Trubisky Mitchell David Trubisky (born August 20, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted second overall by the Chicago ...
, lost in the
Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. ...
to
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
by a score of 25–23. Following the 2016 season, defensive coordinator
Gene Chizik Eugene C. Chizik Jr. (born December 28, 1961) is an American football coach who is currently the Assistant Head Coach for Defense at North Carolina. A veteran of the coaching ranks, Chizik previously was UNC's defensive coordinator for the 2015 ...
resigned to spend more time with his family in
Auburn, Alabama Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama, with a 2020 population of 76,143. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. The Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA with a population o ...
. Fedora promoted linebackers coach
John Papuchis John Papuchis (born April 23, 1978) is the special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach for the Florida State University, Florida State Seminoles Florida State Seminoles football, football team.https://umterps.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1666&path= ...
to replace Chizik as defensive coordinator. Fedora's 2017 and 2018 teams struggled mightily. The Tar Heels were unable to find consistent offense, cycling through several starting quarterbacks including LSU transfer
Brandon Harris Brandon Harris (born January 24, 1990) is an American football coach and former cornerback who is currently the cornerbacks coach at Florida Atlantic University. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He ...
,
Chazz Surratt Chazz Surratt (born February 16, 1997) is an American football middle linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina, where he began his career as a quarterback, and was draf ...
, Nathan Elliott and Cade Fortin. After going 5–18 in those two seasons, Fedora was fired as head coach following the final game of the 2018 season, an overtime loss to rival N.C. State.


Mack Brown 2.0 (2019–present)

Two days after firing coach Fedora, on November 27, 2018, the school announced Mack Brown would be returning as head coach. Brown's return has been highlighted by a significant uptick in the level of recruiting for the Tar Heels, exemplified by the flipping of current Tar Heel star quarterback
Sam Howell Sam Howell (born September 16, 2000) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina, setting school records for most touchdown passes in a si ...
from
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
on signing day for the class of 2019. Howell set multiple school records in three seasons as the starting quarterback. But despite Howell's performance and consecutive top-15 recruiting classes (2021 and 2022), the COVID-shortened 8–4 season in 2020 is so far the best record of Brown's second stint. In Brown's first year coaching since the 2013 season at Texas, the Tar Heels finished 6-6 and became bowl eligible for the first time since the 2016 season, clinching bowl eligibility in the final week of the regular season against rival N.C. State. On October 26, 2019, in a win over Duke, he became the school's all-time wins leader, surpassing his first Tar Heel predecessor, Dick Crum. Brown led the team to their first bowl victory in 6 years, a 55–13 blowout over
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
in the
Military Bowl The Military Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that has been played annually each December in the Washington metropolitan area since 2008. The game was originally held a ...
. Under the air-raid system of offensive coordinator
Phil Longo Phil Longo (born April 17, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the offensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers. A practitioner of the air raid offense, he was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Nor ...
, freshman quarterback Sam Howell set the school record for passing touchdowns with 38. Howell's 38 passing scores were also a record for ACC true freshmen, and came two shy of tying
Jameis Winston Jameis Lanaed Winston ( ; born January 6, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State, where he became the youngest player to win the He ...
for most touchdown passes by a freshman in conference history. Wide receivers
Dazz Newsome Dazz Newsome (born May 15, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of th ...
and Dyami Brown posted 1,000 yard receiving seasons, and running back Michael Carter rushed for 1,003 yards. His backfield counterpart
Javonte Williams Javonte Williams (born April 25, 2000) is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2021 ...
had a breakout season, rushing for 933 yards and five touchdowns in 2019. Former quarterback
Chazz Surratt Chazz Surratt (born February 16, 1997) is an American football middle linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina, where he began his career as a quarterback, and was draf ...
made a position change to linebacker after Howell's arrival, and earned first team all-conference honors in his first collegiate season as a linebacker. The 2020 team finished 8–4 in a season shortened by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, capped by a 41–27 loss to Texas A&M in the
Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
. This was Carolina's first appearance in a major bowl game since the
1950 Cotton Bowl Classic The 1950 Cotton Bowl Classic featured the Rice Owls and the North Carolina Tar Heels. Background The Owls won the Southwest Conference for the fourth time in 15 years. This was their second appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic and their first si ...
, and the first ever Orange Bowl berth for the school. Running backs Carter and Williams both rushed for over 1,000 yards in the 2020 season, and wide receiver Dyami Brown posted his second straight 1,000 yard receiving season. Howell set more records in his second season under center, including single game passing touchdowns with six in a come-from-behind victory over Wake Forest. He added a rushing touchdown in the same game, setting the record for total touchdowns in a game with seven. Against
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
in the final week of the regular season, Williams and Carter combined for an FBS 544 rushing yards in the 62–26 blowout of the Hurricanes. Williams' 19 rushing touchdowns on the season tied Don McCauley's single-season record at Carolina. The
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
team began the season ranked in the top ten in national preseason polls and was picked to win the ACC Coastal Division, but underperformed and ended the season with a 6–7 record. The Tar Heels finished fifth in the division, capping the season with a disappointing 38–21 loss to
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
in the
Duke's Mayo Bowl The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2002. The game currently features a matchup between a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) ...
. The 2021 Tar Heel team was one of only two teams in FBS history to have started the season ranked inside the top ten and finish with a losing record. A bright spot in the 2021 season was the emergence of highly touted wide receiver
Josh Downs Josh Downs (born August 12, 2001) is an American football wide receiver for the North Carolina Tar Heels. High school career Downs attended North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. During his high school career he had 187 receptions for ...
who set single season program records for receptions and receiving yards, finishing the year with 101 catches for 1,335 yards and 8 touchdowns. Running back Ty Chandler, a graduate transfer from
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
rushed for 1,092 yards and 13 touchdowns, making Brown's first three seasons back in Chapel Hill produce at least one 1,000 yard receiver and rusher. Following the conclusion of the season, defensive coordinator
Jay Bateman Jay Bateman (born July 16, 1973) is an American football coach who is currently the inside linebackers coach for the Florida Gators. He was previously the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel ...
and special teams coordinator
Jovan Dewitt Jovan Dewitt (born October 21, 1975) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the defensive coordinator at FIU. After an All-American playing career, Dewitt has spent the majority of his coaching career coordinating eithe ...
were let go, as changes needed to be made to continue the upward trajectory of Carolina football, and the defense and special teams had regressed heavily, despite returning several starters and key rotation pieces. Offensive line coach
Stacy Searels Stacy Searels (born May 19, 1965) is the current offensive line coach for the Georgia Bulldogs football team. Playing years A three-year starter on the offensive line at Auburn, Searels earned first-team All-America honors from both The Assoc ...
, whose unit was another that struggled in 2021, also left the Tar Heels in the offseason to return to
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
, where he had previously served as OL coach from 2007–2010 under head coach
Mark Richt Mark Allan Richt (born February 18, 1960) is a retired American football head coach, former player, and television analyst. He was the head football coach at the University of Georgia for 15 years and at the University of Miami, his alma mater, ...
. He was replaced by
Jack Bicknell Jr. Jack Bicknell Jr. (born February 7, 1963) is an American football coach who is currently the offensive line coach at the University of Wisconsin. He was the head football coach at Louisiana Tech University from 1999 to 2006, compiling a record of ...
, who had previously worked with Tar Heel OC Phil Longo when both were at Ole Miss under head coach Matt Luke. The
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
team entered the season with significant question marks on both sides of the ball, and on special teams.
Gene Chizik Eugene C. Chizik Jr. (born December 28, 1961) is an American football coach who is currently the Assistant Head Coach for Defense at North Carolina. A veteran of the coaching ranks, Chizik previously was UNC's defensive coordinator for the 2015 ...
, Tar Heel defensive coordinator from 2015–16, returned to Chapel Hill to lead the defense after spending five years away from coaching (much like head coach Mack Brown after his departure from
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
in 2013). He brought with him co-DC/defensive backs coach Charlton Warren to rework and improve the Tar Heels' struggling defense. Running backs coach Larry Porter was elevated to Special Teams coordinator, hoping to improve the special teams as well following Dewitt's departure. The Tar Heels brought in graduate transfers Corey Gaynor (Miami) and Spencer Rolland (Harvard) to strengthen their offensive line, and got another in edge rusher Noah Taylor (Virginia) to strengthen the defensive line in Chizik's new scheme. However, the biggest question mark them was who would replace Sam Howell as the Tar Heels' starting quarterback. QB's Jacolby Criswell and
Drake Maye Drake Maye (born August 30, 2002) is an American football quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels. High school career Maye was born on August 30, 2002, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended and played high school football for Myers Par ...
spent spring practice and most of training camp in a dead heat battle, which was won by the redshirt freshman Maye. He was announced by the Brown as the team's starting quarterback in Brown's press conference the Monday prior to the Tar Heels' week zero opening game against FAMU. In his first start, Maye set multiple records in a 56–24 win. Freshman RB Omarion Hampton ran for over 100 yards against the Rattlers as well, becoming the first Tar Heel running back to achieve that mark in his first career game since legendary Tar Heel Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice in 1946. Despite rumblings of improvement and progress throughout the offseason, the Tar Heel defense struggled against FAMU and the following week against
Appalachian State Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...
. Against the Mountaineers, the Tar Heel defense gave up 649 total offensive yards, including 361 passing yards and six touchdown passes for App. quarterback
Chase Brice Chase Brice (born January 27, 1998) is an American football quarterback. He played college football at Clemson, Duke, and Appalachian State, winning a national championship with the Tigers. College career Clemson After redshirting his true ...
. However, the Tar Heel offense itself gained 567 total offensive yards, the special teams unit returned a Mountaineer onside kick attempt for a touchdown, and the Tar Heels were able to escape Boone with a 63–61 victory in what is considered to be an instant classic. The Tar Heels beat Georgia State the following week to improve to 3–0 on the season for just the third time since 2011. Two weeks later the defense would again struggle in a 45-32 loss against a Notre Dame team that was only 1-2 at the time. After much criticism, the defense responded with their best performance of the year a week later against Virginia Tech in a 41-10 victory for the Tar Heels. A week later, the Tar Heels claimed their fourth straight victory against
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
then later defeated their rivals
Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...
to keep the Victory Bell in Chapel Hill. Mack Brown is 12-2 against
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
in his career.


Conference affiliations

Since starting the football program in 1888, North Carolina has been affiliated with three conferences, along with some stints an independent in the early seasons of Carolina football. * Independent (1888–1891, 1895–1898, 1902–1921) * SIAA (1892–1893, part of 1894, 1899–1902) *
Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly ...
(1922–1952) *
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
(1953–present) UNC was independent for most of its earliest years of college football, spending many of the seasons from 1888 to 1921 as a member of no formal athletic conference. The exceptions to this include a brief stint with the informal North Carolina Inter-Collegiate Foot-ball Association from 1888 to 1890 with
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
(then known as Trinity) and Wake Forest, and a few brief stints with the more formally recognized SIAA. The conference was formed in December 1892 when eight colleges from around the South, led by
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, attempted to form its first iteration; this association folded by July 1893 due to internal disputes. Carolina tried to revive the SIAA, helping reform the association in December 1894. By January 1895, however, UNC left the SIAA, calling the venture "impracticable" due to distance considerations, in addition to the cost of associated travel expenses. UNC's Athletic Association voted to rejoin the SIAA in 1899, becoming a member before the 1900 football season. After two more seasons in the Athletic Association, from late in 1899 to May 1902, North Carolina was suspended from the SIAA for playing two players, who were reportedly professionals, in a baseball game in 1902.


Championships


Conference championships

North Carolina claims eight conference championships with the most recent in 1980. † Co-champions


Division championships

North Carolina has won two division championships. Due to the ACC abandoning the division model for the 2023 season, the Tar Heels will be the final team to win the ACC Coastal Division.


Head coaches

*During the years 1888, 1889 (fall schedule), and 1891–92, North Carolina had no official head coach. Over those four seasons, the team went 6–6. *In 1890, the North Carolina Tar Heels did not field a team. **On September 19, 2011, North Carolina self-imposed sanctions against its football program, including forfeiting its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons. *** On March 12, 2012, The NCAA Committee on Infractions stiffened the previously self-imposed sanctions including, inter alia, vacating participation in the '08 and '09 Bowl Games.


Bowl games

North Carolina has played in 36 bowl games in its history with a record of 15–21.


Rivalries


Duke

Duke is North Carolina's biggest basketball rival. The football rivalry between Duke and North Carolina began in 1888, when Duke was known by the name of Trinity. Trinity won the first game in the now-longstanding series. While the basketball rivalry between the two teams overshadows the importance of the football rivalry, they have been known to have some great games every now and then despite. The Victory Bell was introduced for the 1948 match-up, which North Carolina won 20–0. It's tradition for the school that has possession of the bell to paint the bell in the shade of blue of their school. The longest consecutive win streak in the series is a 13-game win streak by the Tar Heels from 1990 to 2002. The all-time series record is 55–35–4 (excluding the two Carolina vacated victories) in favor of the Tar Heels.


North Carolina State

The first football game between the NC State Wolfpack and the Tar Heels occurred in 1894, and the Tar Heels won 44–0. The two schools played every now and then until the formation of the ACC. Since the two teams have been a part of the ACC, they have played every year since 1953. In the past few decades, the rivalry has been more highly contested than the Tar Heels rivalry with Duke. The 1998 and 1999 games were held at
Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 74,867-seat football stadium located on in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League and Charlotte FC of Major ...
, the Tar Heels won both games. The longest consecutive win streak in the series is 9 games, from 1943 to 1955 by the Tar Heels. In the 112 meetings between NC State and the Tar Heels, the all-time series is 68–38–6 in favor of the Tar Heels. Since the formation of the ACC in 1953, the Tar Heels hold the edge over the Wolfpack, 37–33, signifying the competitive nature of the rivalry.


Virginia

The Tar Heels' rivalry with the Virginia Cavaliers began in 1892, and the rivalry has come to be known as the "South's Oldest Rivalry." The teams played twice during the 1892 season, with the Cavaliers winning the first game and the Tar Heels winning the second. The two teams have played a total of 116 times, more than the two teams have played any other program. It is the fourth most played rivalry game among college football's major conference schools. The all-time series record is 62–54–4, in favor of the Tar Heels.


Wake Forest

Wake Forest and North Carolina have met in 109 meetings, with North Carolina holding a 71-36-2 series lead. The game is known as "The Oldest Rivalry in North Carolina" as the first meeting, held in 1888, was the first college football game played in the state of North Carolina. The two teams met annually from 1919 to 2004 until the ACC created the divisional format in 2005.


South Carolina

The
Battle of the Carolinas A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
is a rivalry that began in 1903. North Carolina holds a 34–20–4 overall leads the series. While no longer a conference rivalry, since South Carolina left the
ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
in 1971, the teams still meet occasionally. While South Carolina was an independent (1971-1991), the teams met ten times with each team winning five. Following South Carolina's membership in the SEC the two teams didn't meet for 16 seasons until finally meeting again in 2007 in Chapel Hill. Since that time the two teams have played five times with South Carolina winning four. The most recent meeting was the first postseason meeting between the two programs in the
Duke's Mayo Bowl The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2002. The game currently features a matchup between a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) ...
on December 30, 2021 with South Carolina winning 38-21. The two teams are slated to meet for a fourth straight time in Charlotte on September 2, 2023.


1,000-yard rushers

Throughout the course of the Tar Heels' football history, a player has rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season 31 times. The first player to rush for over a 1,000 yards was Don McCauley, who ran for 1,092 yards in the 1969 season. The most recent Tar Heel to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark was Ty Chandler, who ran for 1,092 yards in
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
.


Notable players


All-Americans


Retired numbers

Five numbers have been retired by the university. ;Notes: * Posthumous honor after Sutherland died in a car accident. * Barclay also served as coach in 1953–1955.


Honored jerseys

Beneath the video board in the east end zone of Kenan Stadium, several Tar Heel greats have their jersey numbers honored.


National award winners

*
Chuck Bednarik Award The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ame ...
:
Julius Peppers Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, ...
(2001) *
Lombardi Award The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombar ...
: Julius Peppers (2001) * Jim Parker Award:
Landon Turner Landon Turner (born May 15, 1993) is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He played college football at North Carolina. His uncle Jim Braxton played professionally for the Bills and Dolphins in the 1970s. High school car ...
(2015)


College Football Hall of Famers

Brown was inducted as a Texas Longhorn


Pro Football Hall of Fame


Tar Heels drafted in the NFL


Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of October 27, 2022. Game will be played at
Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 74,867-seat football stadium located on in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League and Charlotte FC of Major ...
in
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:North Carolina Tar Heels Football American football teams established in 1888
Tar Heels Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is also the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans. The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace back to North Carolina's promi ...