UNC And D-Line Coach Tim Cross Part Ways, Replacement In Line

UNC is moving on.

North Carolina has decided to part ways with defensive line coach Tim Cross. He had been with the program since 2018. In that time, the Tar Heels struggled to get sacks and stop the run. It was not for a lack of talent, as the defensive line was loaded with four and five star players.

2023 By The Numbers

North Carolina’s defense has struggled to stop much of anything over the last few years. Looking at this seasons numbers, there is no question that there were major problems on the line.

Sacks: North Carolina accumulated 28 sacks on the season, which ranks 64th in the country and 11th in the ACC. Nine of those came in the opening game, and five were against Campbell. So, in the other 11 games, UNC was only able to get 14 sacks. That isn’t good enough, especially with the talent on the line.

Run Defense: UNC was 88th out of 130 teams in the country in run defense, allowing 163.2 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. That is not solely on the defensive line, but that is where it all starts. The interior defensive line was constantly getting pushed around, allowing the opposition to gash the team.

Who’s In?

Senior defensive analyst Ted Monachino will take over the role. His last college role before joining UNC was with Arizona State from 2001-2005. After that, he bounced around the NFL in multiple roles.

Best of luck to Coach Cross in his future.

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