If you’re gonna poke fun at Mack Brown for hiring Greg Robinson as has been reported, you’re going to have to wait a little while longer to do it officially.
As Tim Brewster himself announced over Twitter earlier this week, North Carolina confirmed that the long-time Brown assistant has been hired as the Tar Heels’ tight ends coach. Brewster will also carry the title of assistant head coach.
Additionally, the hirings of Tim Cross as defensive line coach and Dre Bly as cornerbacks coach were confirmed as well.
Finally, at least for the moment, it was also announced that Brown has decided to retain Tommy Thigpen as safeties coach. Thigpen will also serve as co-defensive coordinator.
“I’m thrilled to announce four outstanding coaches who will be part of our staff at Carolina,” Brown said in a statement. “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.”
Brewster has the most experience with the new UNC head coach, serving on Brown’s original Tar Heels coaching staff from 1989-97 then following him to Texas, where he spent the 1998-2001 seasons. Brewster, who spent this past season at Texas A&M, was the tight ends and special teams coach at UNC, while he coached the former at UT.
Cross also has extensive experience with Brown at UT, serving as strength & conditioning coach during two different stints (2001-04, 2011-13) in Austin.
Bly is a former Tar Heels All-American who most recently served as a defensive intern with the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins. Thigpen played under Brown at UNC in the late eighties and on into the early nineties, and has spent three different stints as an assistant at his alma mater -- graduate assistant, 1998-99; linebackers coach, 2005-08; and 2018 as safeties coach.