North Carolina has their new tight ends coach.
A school announcement on Wednesday confirmed reports that ex-Cleveland Browns assistant John Lilly was filling the role on Mack Brown’s staff.
“My family and I are really excited about the opportunity to join Coach Brown and the staff at North Carolina,” Lilly said in a statement. “I can’t think of a better program to walk into right now than the one in Chapel Hill. There’s so much energy and enthusiasm surrounding this place and this program, and if everyone continues to work hard together the way they have, there are certainly big things ahead. I’ve had the chance to see North Carolina up close as a visiting coach and was always impressed with the passion of the fan base and community and the tradition of the program. I’m glad Coach Brown is giving us the chance to join the family. We can’t wait to get to Chapel Hill and get started.”
Lilly is no stranger to the ACC, having spent 13 years at Florida State. He rose through the ranks of Bobby Bowden’s staff and spent nearly a decade as the Seminoles’ recruiting coordinator. He was also at Georgia as tight ends coach from 2008-2015 and recently had one-year stints with the Browns and Los Angeles Rams at the NFL level.
The move to bring in Lilly comes less than a week after Tar Heels TE coach Tim Brewster left for a similar role at Florida.