
{"id":22393,"date":"2011-12-15T11:54:02","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T16:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/?p=22393"},"modified":"2011-12-15T11:54:02","modified_gmt":"2011-12-15T16:54:02","slug":"fedora-connects-with-carolina%e2%80%99s-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/2011\/12\/15\/fedora-connects-with-carolina%e2%80%99s-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Fedora connects with Carolina\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s past"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><figure id=\"attachment_20318\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20318\" style=\"width: 100px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/landreth-mug1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"landreth-mug\" width=\"100\" height=\"134\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/landreth-mug1.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/landreth-mug1-84x113.jpg 84w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/landreth-mug1-74x100.jpg 74w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20318\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eddy Landreth<\/figcaption><\/figure><strong>By Eddy Landreth<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Staff Writer<\/em><br \/>\nLarry Fedora sounded echoes of Carolina\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s past when he walked to the podium and spoke during his introduction as the Tar Heels\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 new football coach on Dec. 7.<\/p>\n<p>His speech brought to mind another excellent offense-oriented coach at UNC, one who spoke with excitement about the future in December of 1987.<\/p>\n<p>By the time Fedora had finished speaking, the Tar Heel supporters in the room were ready to suit up and hit the field outside the Loudermilk Center for Excellence, very similar to the way Mack Brown excited the masses throughout his 10 years at Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Today is the first day of a new era of UNC football, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to be exciting,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Fedora, who is leaving Southern Mississippi, the school at which he first became a collegiate head coach.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You better buckle your seat belts and hold on, because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to be a wild ride,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fedora said.<\/p>\n<p>When Brown took the Carolina job, he brought a reputation as a former offensive coordinator who created excitement on the field. The same is said of Fedora.<\/p>\n<p>And who says so? Well, Fedora, for one.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153General George S. Patton said this: \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcInstead of waiting to see what might develop, attack constantly, vigorously and viciously. Never let up, never stop, always attack,\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fedora said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153As a football team, we will always be attacking. Carolina-style football will be known as playing smart, playing fast and playing physical.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>Fedora\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pledge for big plays did not just rest with the offense.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153On special teams \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just start with special teams by chance \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we will be very aggressive,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Fedora, who led Southern Miss to their conference championship, defeating previously unbeaten Houston in the title game.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You can count on game-changing plays in special teams,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153On defense we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to employ multiple fronts, multiple blitzes and multiple coverages. We are about stopping the run and creating confusion and disrupting the quarterback through blitzes and coverages.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>For those who can remember Brown, Fedora sounded awfully similar.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our defenses will be known for flying to the football and knocking the tar out of people,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153On offense we will be one-back, no-huddle, multi-tempoed. We will spread the field horizontally to create vertical seams in the defense. We will put the ball in a playmaker\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And when you spread the field like that, you create the opportunity for a lot of explosive plays. So that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to be exciting, I assure you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>While introducing Fedora, new director of athletics Bubba Cunningham addressed the need to reunite Carolina fans after the bitter fallout resulting from Chancellor Holden Thorp\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision to fire coach Butch Davis one week before practice began in August.<\/p>\n<p>Fedora then urged the fans to come together to support the team, and in return, he promised a show to remember.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153When our fans leave the stadium on Saturday afternoons,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fedora said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I want them to say \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWow, those guys in Carolina blue, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re flying around, and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re having fun playing the game.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>He can point to the actions of his current team for evidence. Southern Miss is 14th in the nation in scoring per game, averaging more than 37 points.<\/p>\n<p>The Golden Eagles outscored Houston, the nation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s top-scoring team at more than 50 points a game, 49-28 in their Conference USA championship game.<\/p>\n<p>Houston was ranked sixth in the nation at the time.<\/p>\n<p>Another point of reference for offensive production is ACC champion Clemson, which scored 59 points against UNC this season. The Tigers are 27th in the nation in scoring at more than 33 points a game.<\/p>\n<p>Fedora\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offensive scheme is somewhat similar to the Tigers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly Brown and Fedora have developed a relationship, although they have not worked together. So naturally, Fedora spoke with Brown, now the coach at Texas, before he said yes to Cunningham.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Just to give you an idea of my relationship with Mack, I was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fedora said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mack was the head coach at the University of Texas. We competed against each other every year. But when I had the opportunities to go to Austin, [Texas], for recruiting or whatever, I would call Mack and say, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWould you mind if I come by and would you spend a few minutes with me?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell you how many times I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve sat down on his couch, and he would spend two, three hours. For me, it was fact-finding. It was about, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcCoach, what do I need to do to become a successful head football coach?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>For anyone who knows Brown, it is no surprise he was generous with his advice.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He was very gracious,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fedora said.<\/p>\n<p>The most recent conversations between the two were among the most important because Brown spent 10 years at UNC. He went from 2-20 his first two seasons at Carolina to 21-3 and back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last two.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The things he said about this program when I talked to him were unbelievable,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fedora said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcLarry, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a great place with great people. They have everything you need to win.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That is all I needed to know.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>Now we will see if he can recruit as well as Brown and continue to build what Davis started four years ago. Fedora will inherit more talent than any new coach at UNC since Dick Crum replaced Bill Dooley in 1978.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I understand the problems that come up when you come into a situation,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fedora said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The main thing is the kids are excited about winning. Kids want to win. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll do whatever it takes to win.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And when they buy in, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a special thing. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s magical.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>If there is one thing UNC football can use right now, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a little magic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Larry Fedora sounded echoes of Carolina\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s past when he walked to the podium and spoke during his introduction as the Tar Heels\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 new football coach on Dec. 7.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":20318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[431],"class_list":["post-22393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22393"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22394,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22393\/revisions\/22394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}