North Carolina football coach Mack Brown announced the hiring of Gene Chizik as assistant head coach for defense and Charlton Warren as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach on Saturday.
Brown moved quickly in making the hires after announcing the decision to part ways with former co-defensive coordinator Jay Bateman and outside linebackers coach Jovan DeWitt.
“Gene is one of college football’s great defensive minds and we’re excited that he’s returning to lead our unit,” Brown said in a news release. “He’s spent the last five years in the media studying college football, so like me, he’s had a chance to look at a number of different schemes, while staying on top of how the game has evolved over the last few years. Gene has been approached a number of times for head coach or defensive coordinator jobs during that time, but decided this was the best opportunity at the right time for him.”
Chizik and Warren both served on Larry Fedora’s UNC staff during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Warren served as Indiana’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach last season. Chizik, who led Auburn’s 2010 team to a national championship as its head coach, is one of six active coaches to have won a national title. He worked with Brown at Texas as defensive coordinator in 2005-06.
“Having coached here previously, I know this is a special place and I’m excited to help the program take the next step towards competing for and winning championship,” Chizik said in a statement. “...I’ve seen what the program has become since Coach Brown’s return, I know where it’s headed, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
