Mack Brown made his final Monday appearance with the media ahead of UNC’s matchup against No. 15 Oregon on December 28. With the player and coach exodus, there was plenty to talk about for the coach. Hiring Chip Lindsey as the new offensive coordinator was on the hot plate, as well as the massive player exodus into the transfer portal.
Mack Brown said that the number one focus when searching for an offensive coordinator was running the ball. That was the main reason he hired Chip Lindsey. He worked with Gus Malzhan at UCF and before that Auburn, they were always good at running the ball. Brown mentioned the need to tweak the offense, not change it, as the Heels were just a little to dependent on Drake Maye down the stretch. “Chip really believes in the Air Raid system and we want to keep it.” But he did say that in order to fix the red zone offense, something that has been a major struggle for the Heels, they must run the ball better.
Drake Maye got offered a lot of money to use the transfer portal but chose to remain loyal to UNC, which was not lost on Brown. It’s no surprise that Maye was a big factor in selecting the next offensive coordinator as: “the better Drake is the better we are.” Maye has told Brown that he wants a teacher who can help him get better and Chip Linsey was that guy. Randy Clements became the new O-Line coach as the chemistry with Linsey helped him get the job. UNC plans on being more physical and of course, running the ball more.
No.15 Oregon awaits UNC in the Holiday Bowl, an experience that Brown believes will be good for his players. He feels that UNC needs to play these games and needs to win these games, to take that next step and this would certainly be a good next step for UNC heading into the offseason. As for who will call the plays, Lonnie Galloway will be on the sideline coaching QBs, receivers, and calling plays.
As the transfer portal and NIL runs wild, Brown believes the NCAA needs to take a real hard look at tampering and “buying kids.” Brown likes the transfer portal but believes there is good: the opportunity to improve a roster, and bad: robbing great high school players of scholarships. This topic is a heated debate within the sports world.
As mentioned before, UNC will face 15th-ranked Oregon in the Holiday Bowl in what will be a key matchup as UNC tries to close its season strong. While bowl games don’t hold as much prestige as they once did this match-up should be an entertaining game. Who plays and who sits is a question we will have to wait until the 28th to answer.