Welcome to the Dec. 2 edition of the Two-Minute Drill – your quick-hitter roundup of the latest North Carolina college football news.
The coaching carousel takes center stage – is Charlotte ready to make a hire? – along with more transfer portal announcements and a new Wake Forest record.
Charlotte Coaching Search Reportedly Down To Three Names
The 49ers could be ready to announce the next head coach of the program “in 24-48 hours,” according to Hunter Bailey of the Charlotte Observer. Three names have risen to the top, Bailey writes: interim coach Tim Brewster, NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.
Zach Barnett of FootballScoop.com, meanwhile, writes that Western Carolina coach Kerwin Bell is still in the mix, along with Ohio coach Tim Albin, who has guided the Bobcats to a 9-3 record this season. We wrote last week that Bell was the betting favorite to get the job. Bell’s WCU team went 7-5 this season and finished among the FCS offensive leaders for the second year in a row.
A number of Charlotte players, including starting quarterback DeShawn Purdie, took to social media to promote Brewster, who guided the Niners to a pair of wins after taking over for Biff Poggi. But Bailey’s report suggested that Brewster was a long-shot for the job.
Petrino would be a controversial hire, though he has vast head-coaching experience at Louisville, Arkansas and Western Kentucky. Tony Gibson has been the Wolfpack’s defensive coordinator since 2020. He was in the running for the Duke job last year. He’s a West Virginia native, and his name might appear in searches for the WVU job, which just opened this weekend.
“The Charlotte job is regarded as one of the best in the Group of 5,” Zach Barnett of Football Scoop wrote recently. “The city of Charlotte annually ranks among the fastest-growing in America, and the program is young enough that a successful coach can put his fingerprints on the program in a way that is not possible at other institutions.”
Freddie Kitchens Named Interim Head Coach At UNC
Mack Brown’s Twitter/X profile now says “Hall of Fame golfer and fisherman.” The former UNC coach was let go less than a week ago and opted not to lead the Heels into their bowl game, his last game being a loss to NC State.
North Carolina promoted Freddie Kitchens to interim head coach on Sunday. He’s got NFL coaching history and has served as the Tar Heels run-game coordinator and tight ends coach the past two years.
“”Freddie Kitchens is an incredibly talented coach who is respected by our student-athletes and staff,” Carolina director of athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. “He is dedicated to doing all he can to help lead our program through this transition, and we appreciate his willingness to take on this role.”
NC State wideout KC Concepcion plans to transfer
NC State wide receiver KC Concepcion blew kisses to fans after Saturday night’s 35-30 victory at UNC. The next day he made public his plans to transfer.
The 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year didn’t quite have the season many expected after blazing onto the scene last fall. He reportedly got paid handsomely in NIL money.
Concepcion’s final line as a Wolfpack receiver: 124 catches, 1,655 receiving yards, 18 TDs over two seasons.
MORE TRANSFER PORTAL NEWS: Check out our Transfer Portal Tracker Here.
Recruiting: Early Signing Day Is Wednesday
Wonder why schools fire coaches before the season is complete? One of the reasons has to do with recruiting. This Wednesday is Early National Signing Day, the first opportunity for Class of 2025 recruits to make their college choices official.
It will be interesting to watch the impact of Mack Brown’s dismissal on UNC’s class, which already ranked lower than recent years.
Wake Forest WR Taylor Morin Sets School Receiving Record
Redshirt senior Taylor Morin broke Ricky Proehl’s career receiving yards record in his finale Saturday against Duke. Morin caught eight passes for 47 yards, giving him 2,974 for his Deacs’ career mark. Proehl finished with 2,949.
More Coaching Carousel Announcements?
Five North Carolina college programs already are undergoing head coaching changes this cycle: East Carolina, Charlotte, UNC, Davidson and Elizabeth City State.
Will there be any more? Shawn Clark has come under fire of late at Appalachian State, which will miss a bowl game this season after losing to Georgia Southern on Saturday. It’s been another rough season at Wake Forest for Dave Clawson. Western Carolina coach Kerwin Bell has been mentioned as a possible candidate for FBS openings, including Charlotte and ECU.
Stay tuned to NC Football News as the coaching carousel continues to spin.
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