UNC, Dre Bly agree to part ways

The former Tar Heel standout spent four seasons coaching in Chapel Hill, joining head coach Mack Brown in his return to North Carolina.

Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports

On Wednesday, it was announced that North Carolina and cornerbacks coach Dre Bly had agreed to mutually part ways following the 2022 season.

Bly spent four seasons coaching in Chapel Hill and served as a heavyweight recruiter in the college football world. 

As a player, Bly spent 1996-1998 as a member of the North Carolina secondary, earning All-American honors as a redshirt freshman with 11 interceptions. He would cement himself as one of the greatest defensive backs in program history and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

In a press release by the school, head coach Mack Brown addressed the decision to move on from Bly.

“We all love Dre Bly and appreciate what he means to the University of North Carolina as a Hall of Famer, an unbelievable advocate for the program, and an excellent coach,” said Brown. “Dre and I mutually agreed to part ways so that he could explore other opportunities in the coaching profession. We appreciate everything he’s done for the program over the last few years and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

Following the ACC Championship game against Clemson, four cornerbacks announced their decision to enter the transfer portal: Tony Grimes, Dontae Balfour, Storm Duck, and Tymir Brown.

As the Tar Heel defense received the brunt of the criticism this past season, the secondary in Chapel Hill left a lot to be desired on the field.

North Carolina finished last in the ACC in yards allowed and scoring defense, giving up 436.5 yards and 30.8 points per game.

The search for a replacement is underways, as the Tar Heels will replace their third position coach this offseason.