In one of the most shocking moves in recent memory around Tar Heel athletics, head baseball coach Mike Fox has stepped down as head coach. After 22 years at the helm for his alma mater and 37 years manager, the legendary head coach is retiring.
In his illustrious career, Fox compiled a 1,487-547-5 record, one that is currently seventh in college baseball history and ranked first among active head coaches this past season. Fox posted a 958-406-1 record in his time as the head coach of the Tar Heels and reached the NCAA Regionals in eighteen of his 22 seasons, the final season of which was cut short due to COVID-19. Fox made seven College World Series appearances in his career, including four straight appearances from 2006 to 2009. Fox was never able to bring home a championship at Carolina, but he did end up finishing runner-up in both 2006 and 2007. In 2017, Fox was inducted into North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
As a player at Carolina from 1976-78, Fox was a standout second baseman, helping lead the Tar Heels to the College World Series in 1978. He hit .277 as a senior and was named to the College World Series all-tournament and would return to Carolina in 1979 as an assistant coach after a one year professional career.
Prior to returning to Carolina as the head coach in 1999, Fox had a successful fifteen year stint as the head coach for Division III North Carolina-Wesleyan. In his time there, he finished with a 540-141-4 record and won the Division III College World Series in 1989.
Bubba Cunningham also announced the hire of Scott Forbes as the replacement for Fox on Friday morning. Forbes has spent the last 19 years as a part of the Tar Heels staff under Fox as the team pitching coach, earning National Pitching Coach of the Year honors in 2008 and was named one of the top assistants in the country in 2018.