As Mack Brown continues to round up coaches to join him in Chapel Hill, one thing has become very clear — he wants to be a force in the recruiting landscape.
On Friday, the North Carolina football head coach announced three official hires to his coaching staff: Tim Brewster will serve as assistant head coach and tight ends coach, Dré Bly will serve as a cornerbacks coach and Tim Cross will coach the defensive line. In addition to the three coaches, Tommy Thigpen was promoted to co-defensive coordinator and will continue to coach safeties after having joined the team last January.
In a statement included in the release on GoHeels, Brown made his motives clear for his hirings, specifically stating their ability to recruit.
“I’m thrilled to announce four outstanding coaches who will be part of our staff at Carolina,” Brown said to GoHeels. “Each of them are, first and foremost, excellent people and know how to coach, recruit and develop players to be the best they can be in the classroom, in the community, on the field and in life. Dré and Tommy are among the very best I’ve had the opportunity to coach and it has brought me great joy to watch them grow to be the successful people they are today.”
During the introductory press conference, Brown noted his desire to keep the best football players in the state of North Carolina home, and his corresponding moves show the 67-year-old is doubling down on his proclamation.
Brewster brings plenty of experience, both in recruiting and coaching, to the Tar Heel staff. He served as Brown’s tight ends coach for nine years in Chapel Hill and produced NFL tight ends, including Alge Crumpler, a four-time Pro Bowler.
Following his time at UNC, Brewster went with Brown to Texas where he stayed four seasons before departing for the pro game to work with the San Diego Chargers and future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates. Brewster most recently worked at Florida State before leaving the Seminoles with head coach Jimbo Fisher to move to Texas A&M. In five seasons with Florida State, Brewster provided a key role in five consecutive recruiting classes ranked in ESPN’s top 10. Point being, he has plenty of experience working with talent and his credentials should help at a position North Carolina has lacked talent in recent years.
Bly is another hire with NFL credentials who will be used on the recruiting trail. Bly played for Brown at UNC and was a three-time All-America selection. Bly finished an 11-year NFL career in 2009 and he won a Super Bowl with the then Saint Louis Rams in 2000. Since retiring, Bly has served as a defensive intern for the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. For high school players with professional aspirations, Bly can serve as both a mentor for how to make it to the pro game.
Cross, who has worked with both Brown and Brewster, has seen success at every stop. His ability to recruit and develop talent at Syracuse led to the Orange finishing with 2.8 sacks per game in the 2006 season, ranking them within the top 20 in the nation. At Minnesota, he helped the Gophers finish in the top 25 in sacks in 2008. Cross most recently served as defensive line coach for the Air Force Academy and earned a promotion to assistant head coach before the 2017 season.
