ANALYSIS: Mack Brown adds firepower to UNC football offensive coaching staff
North Carolina football head coach Mack Brown speaks during his introductory press conference on Nov. 27, 2018.
In college football, you’re only as good as your assistants. In reality, many factors go into winning, but having a deep, capable staff with a diverse selection of talents – most importantly the ability to recruit and develop talent – is crucial.
Look at Clemson, which just won its second NCAA national championship in three seasons. Against the odds, defensive guru Brent Venables is still on Dabo Swinney’s staff although his work warrants a head coaching appointment elsewhere. Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott is a strong candidate to one day lead his own program, too.
At North Carolina, the strategy of bringing new head coach Mack Brown back to Chapel Hill two decades since his last stint here is based on surrounding him with a strong group of assistants to help him navigate his first coaching gig since 2013.
Here’s a look at who he’s named to his offensive staff and what they bring to the table. In a video posted to the team’s Twitter account, Brown told his players his staff was “the best” he’s “ever hired.”
And if you weren't already fired up, watch to the end...
Offensive coordinator: Phil Longo Previous job: offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Ole Miss Analysis: During the first five seasons of the Larry Fedora era, UNC averaged 35.9 points per game and never ranked lower than No. 44 nationally in scoring offense. But during the past two seasons, UNC scored 26.7 points on average and ranked No. 83 in scoring in 2017 and No. 78 in 2018. The man in charge of remedying UNC’s offensive woes is Longo, who most recently orchestrated a high-scoring SEC offense.
In two seasons at Ole Miss, Longo showed how much he loves throwing the ball. Last season, Ole Miss averaged 33.9 points per game, and tallied 346.4 passing yards per contest. According to SB Nation’s Bill Connelly’s advanced metrics, Longo’s offense in 2018 ran the ball 47.6 percent of the time on standard downs – situations in which the offense can theoretically be expect to run or pass. This accounts for first downs, 2nd-and-7 or closer, 3rd-and-4 or closer, etc. That number ranked No. 122 nationally and well below the national average of 59.6 percent. It helped that Longo had a senior quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu, at his disposal and a strong group of receivers.
Before working at Ole Miss, Longo spent three years at Sam Houston State. The team consistently ranked at the top of the FCS level in many statistics, including No. 1 in total offense (547.3 yards per game) in 2016.
It will be interesting to see how Longo operates with UNC’s personnel. With wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams having decided to enter the NFL Draft, the Tar Heels will be without their big-play threat. However, they do have a group of talented youngsters, led by rising junior Dazz Newsome, who had a team-high 44 receptions last season.
The biggest concern is sorting out the quarterback position. Assuming Longo stays true to his offensive philosophy, UNC will be airing it out often, something it struggled with a season ago with its revolving door of quarterbacks (Nathan Elliott, Chazz Surratt, Cade Fortin and Jace Ruder).
Elliott played the most of the four and Surratt’s season was cut short due to a suspension and injury. Fortin and Ruder both flashed potential in brief cameos. But Longo might be keen on giving the chance to lead the offense to early enrollee first-year Sam Howell, the No. 3 pro-style quarterback, according to 247Sports, who Longo tried to recruit when at Ole Miss. Howell, who flipped his commitment from Florida State to UNC in December, has a strong arm and could feature nicely under Longo.
UNC offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Phil Longo. Photo courtesy of University of Mississippi department of athletics.
Assistant head coach/tight ends coach: Tim Brewster Previous job: tight ends coach, Texas A&M Analysis: A lot of coaching hires are about who you know, and Brown certainly knows Brewster well. Brewster, who most recently worked at Texas A&M, was an assistant under Brown at UNC from 1989-97 and Brewster followed him to Texas once he left Chapel Hill.
UNC assistant head coach/tight ends coach Tim Brewster. Photo courtesy of Tim Brewster.
Brewster has spent the past six seasons with Jimbo Fisher at Florida State and Texas A&M. He has head-coaching experience at Minnesota and also worked as an assistant coach in the NFL.
The chance for a reunion with Brown is what made his current job so enticing to Brewster – who, on a video posted on the team’s Twitter account, told players: “I’m here for one reason men: I’m here because I love Mack Brown. If Bubba Cunningham would have hired anybody else, I wouldn’t be here.”
And if you weren't already fired up, watch to the end...
In the short time since he was hired in November, Brewster has been very vocal on Twitter. This tweet, following N.C. State’s 52-13 loss to Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl, raised some eyebrows: “I really thought State played their best! Really a compliment!”
I really thought State played their best! Really a compliment!
Running backs coach: Robert Gillespie Previous job: running backs coach, UNC Analysis: Brown is retaining Gillespie, one of two holdovers from Fedora’s staff. Gillespie only spent one year on Fedora’s staff and previously worked at Tennessee, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and South Carolina. At Tennessee, Gillespie helped develop current pro running back Alvin Kamara and served as the Volunteers’ recruiting coordinator for three seasons, so he should play a key role in Brown’s plan for the Tar Heels to recruit the state’s top talent.
Gillespie’s return means that there will be even greater continuity among UNC’s running backs, one of the team’s most experienced position groups. Between Michael Carter, Antonio Williams, Javonte Williams and Jordon Brown, UNC returns four backs with multiple rushing touchdowns each and at least 224 rushing yards in 2018. Carter led the way last season with 597 yards on the ground and Antonio Williams followed with 504.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
UNC running backs coach Robert Gillespie. Photo courtesy of UNC department of athletics.
Wide receivers coach: Lonnie Galloway Previous job: co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach, Louisville Analysis: Galloway is another guy with loads of experience coaching in North Carolina. Although he spent the past four seasons with Louisville, Galloway, a former Western Carolina quarterback, has coached on staffs at in-state schools Elon, Appalachian State and Wake Forest. Other than Louisville, West Virginia was his only other stop outside of this state.
At Louisville, Galloway worked under Bobby Petrino, who was fired by the school in November after the team went 2-8 in its first 10 games last season. In 2017, Galloway’s group of receivers included three players with at least 42 receptions. In 2016, then-Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich suspended Galloway for one game for his role in the so-called “Wakeyleaks” scandal, in which Galloway received information on Wake Forest’s game plan prior to a game against the Cardinals from Tommy Elrod, then a Wake Forest announcer.
UNC football wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway. Photo courtesy of Louisville department of athletics.
Offensive line coach: Stacy Searels Previous job: offensive line coach, Miami (Fla.) Analysis: Brown originally hired Texas Tech offensive line coach Brandon Jones in December, but Jones left last week for Houston after former West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen went there. With Jones gone after only a few weeks on the job, Brown went after Searels, someone he’s worked with in the past.
Searels, who won a national championship coaching under Nick Saban at LSU, spent the past three seasons as Miami’s offensive line coach. Searels worked under Brown at Texas from 2011-13, and at UNC he’ll inherit an offensive line that returns four of its five starters from the final game of last season.
Before working at Miami, Searels was at Virginia Tech for two seasons, so UNC’s new offensive line coach is certainly well acquainted with the ACC.
UNC offensive line coach Stacy Searels. Photo courtesy of 247Sports.
Head strength and conditioning coach: Brian Hess
Previous role: head strength and conditioning coach, Army Analysis: It’s commonplace in college football for the newly arrived strength and conditioning coach to be lauded after his first offseason on the job for innovative training tactics and the ability to push players beyond their limits. Only time will tell whether UNC’s football players are faster and more physical than they were under Fedora.
With that said, Hess does have a vote of confidence from Longo and Bateman, having worked with both of UNC’s new coordinators. Hess most recently worked at Army, where he was with Bateman, and beforehand he was at Sam Houston State with Longo, who had some high praise when asked about Hess.
