Mack Brown explains why he's confident in UNC's defense in Year 2 under Gene Chizik

Ahead of the 2023 season, North Carolina is expected to be phenomenal on offense but struggle on defense. Despite that expectation, head coach Mack Brown expects to see a much improved Tar Heels’ defense.

While on the ACCN set during the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, Brown explained why he’s confident in the defense.

“We’re older,” Mack Brown said. “Where a lot of these great, young recruits played before they were ready, and they would play great or bad. They were inconsistent.”

Along with being a very young team, Brown pointed out that both the defensive players and the defensive coordinator, Gene Chizik, dealt with changes in 2022 that they had to adjust to and they struggled with.

“We changed defenses after three years and then you bring in a guy that’s been out for five years that I love too, but he sat in these chairs for five years and things changed, and things changed more offensively than they would have for a head coach. I had early signing day and he had a lot of different things and we got better as the season went on, as he got better.”

In 2022, North Carolina was 116th in total defense, allowing 436.5 yards per game. The Tar Heels were also 102nd in scoring defense, giving up 30.79 points per game.

“He’s got another piece of the puzzle with Jason Jones that we’re working with Charlton Warren, our safeties coach and the secondaries coach worked together. So, there’s more continuity back there. We bring in Ted Monachino to help as an analyst, and he’s been the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts. He’s been the defensive line coach all over the place. Got some of the best pass rushers in football history.”

Mack Brown, who worked as an analyst before, also argued that the media made a narrative around the North Carolina defense. He pointed to bad games against App State and Notre Dame, where the Tar Heels allowed 61 and 45 points respectively.

“So, we’re coaching better. We have more confidence. They’re tired of hearing how bad they are. I do know and being in the media you have so many games that you have to cover, sometimes you get a narrative and stick with it, and our narrative after App State’s fourth quarter was we gave out, and after the game at Notre Dame where we just got whipped, people gave up on our defense and then they started hearing it and getting better and better and better. So, we’re going to start out better than we finished.”

Mack Brown is excited to face South Carolina

This season, North Carolina opens against South Carolina in a game Mack Brown is excited to play.

“I do like this. I think I would rather have a game that’s an easy one to open with and have this one second,” Brown said.

“We don’t have preseason games in college football. So we’re going to have to scrimmage more. We’re going to have to be more physical in preseason because we won’t have any time to learn how to play. We’ve got to have the foot on the gas and be ready to go in that opener.”