Dre Bly releases heartfelt statement after parting ways with North Carolina coaching staff

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ football coaching staff decided to part ways with one of their former legends, former defensive backs coach Dre Bly. North Carolina ranked 116th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (271.3 yards) during the 2022 season, and Mack Brown decided it was time to move on from the former Tar Heel football legend. He played for UNC in the 1990’s, where he became a two-time consensus All-American (1996 and 1997). Following his departure from the ‘Heels coaching staff earlier in the week, Bly released a heartfelt statement on his Twitter page.

Check it out.

#CarolinaFootball #CarolinaFamily #GoHeels ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PxieVb9TnF

— Dré Bly (@drebly_32) January 12, 2023

“Tar Heel Nation, it’s been real!! Thank you so much for all your support that you’ve given me over the years. The love and excitement have been amazing!!! In the last 4 years, we were able to attend an Orange Bowl and an ACC Championship. Those experiences will always be remembered,” Bly wrote in his post.

“Bubba, thank you for the opportunity to give back to the university where it all started for me. And Coach Mack, words can’t express how grateful and appreciative I am for you stepping out on faith and bringing me on as a part of your staff for the past 4 years. I’ve learned a lot from you, not just about football but also about life. Thank you for investing in me. And with all of my experiences and the knowledge I’ve gained in Chapel Hill, I will continue to pursue my coaching dreams. I am excited about my future. To my family and my friends, thanks for being my biggest supporters and encouragers. I will continue to make you proud! This is only the beginning. Well, Tar Heel Nation, it’s about that time! I got nothing but love for y’all and I always will! Go Heels!”

Mack Brown has plans to visit with Gene Chizik, other North Carolina assistants about future

As North Carolina heads into the offseason following their best year since 2015, head coach Mack Brown was asked if he was going to make any coaching changes moving forward. Brown previously said that he and assistant head coach for defense Gene Chizik would meet to discuss those possible changes, but those conversations haven’t happened yet.

“The guys were gone for a week, I really haven’t seen them until last night, we had a staff meeting yesterday and a team meeting last night. The guys are at the convention today and tomorrow, so over the next two weeks,” Brown said. “There’s no urgency right now because we don’t have recruiting and that’s usually when you have to have an urgency. I’ll sit down with Gene, I’ll sit down with each coach and Gene together and then reassess exactly where we are and where we need to go.”

The Tar Heels had their best season under Brown’s second tenure with the program, which warranted a much-needed break to not only North Carolina’s players, but their coaching staff as well according to Brown.

“No, I haven’t seen them. I mean again, you worry about their mental health and them being exhausted and you kill them until the bowl game, you get back and everybody separates. You gotta give them a little time off, so they needed a break too.”

Brown was asked if he wants to make changes to his coaching staff, and made his wants very clear regarding what he wants to achieve with the program.

“I want to win, I want to win all the games with really nice kids that are mean on Saturday afternoon and all graduating, that’s what I want to do. I want to win every game, I don’t want to win nine games, that’s not what I came back for and I told them all that last night. We are so close, why don’t we take another step? Why don’t we take another step?” Brown asked.

UNC’s season was highlighted by a 9-1 start, a top 15 ranking in the polls, and an ACC Championship game berth. But the Tar Heels lost steam down the stretch, losing four straight games including their conference championship game to Clemson and bowl game to Oregon. It’s clear Brown was not satisfied with how his team finished the season, but coaching changes being the solution is still unclear.

“My job is to figure out what I need to do, what the coaches need to do, to take another step. Does that change a coach? Everybody wants to fire a coach, is that the right for to do for us at this time? I’ve got to make those decisions, nobody else, and I have more information than anybody else,” Brown said.

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this article.