Mack Brown addresses Randy Clements' absence from team
After dealing with a health issue earlier in the year, Randy Clements, North Carolina’s offensive line coach, was eventually absent again this weekend as he received additional treatment for the matter.
Mack Brown addressed what he could about the matter during his press conference on Monday. He said Clements went in for an operation towards the end of the week with him expecting to be back in time for the game against NC Central. However, it took longer than they had all expected with medical personnel still handling it.
“He was supposed to have a small procedure that we knew about from early and it’s taken longer than we thought,” said Brown. “He was supposed to go in Thursday and have something tweaked that would help him ’til spring and it’s just taken longer.”
“We thought he would go in Thursday, he’d be back out Saturday morning and be ready for the game.”
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With that being their plan, the Tar Heels had already arranged for Clements to be in the press box. Still, he was unable to make it at all for the game against the Eagles.
“As of Saturday morning, we thought he might be in the press box on Saturday. Then they just didn’t let him out,” said Brown.
Much to some impatience, doctors still hadn’t released Clements from care as of Sunday per Brown. They’re just doing their best, though, when it comes to their treatment of him.
“We thought maybe yesterday. That’s, again, why I checked with him. He was frustrated,” Brown said. “I checked with the doctors this morning and they said, ‘We’re working on it, we’re good. In fact, shut up, Mack. Leave us alone. Let us do our job.'”
This is Clements’ second season on the staff in Chapel Hill. This comes after over a three decade-long career coaching at schools like Stephen F. Austin, Baylor, Southeastern, Houston, Florida State, Ole Miss, and North Texas. That was mostly work with the offensive line but also included roles as a co-offensive coordinator and as a run game for coordinator
North Carolina’s belief was that Clements would have already been back over the past few days. Since he isn’t yet, or at least was so longer than their though, they’ll now leave it to his doctors to help him be back to where he can be back on the sidelines soon.
“This is just a different setback,” said Brown.