hgutmann@heraldsun.com
CHAPEL HILL — After beating Duke in the final game of the regular season, North Carolina’s players gave a game ball to interim coach Everett Withers.
Since then, Larry Fedora has been hired as the new head coach and has promised to bring new offensive and defensive systems to UNC, all but ensuring that most of the Tar Heels' current coaching staff won’t be retained.
But with Withers and his assistants’ tenure in Chapel Hill about to end — a source said Tuesday that Withers will join Urban Meyer’s staff at Ohio State — the players said there’s one more gift they can give.
“I'd love to send (the coaching staff) off the right way because they've been here four years with me and I love them all to death,” redshirt junior guard Jonathan Cooper said. “And what better way to send them off on the right note than a big win against Missouri.”
Cooper spoke after practice on Wednesday as the Tar Heels (7-5) prepare for their Dec. 26 Independence Bowl game against the Tigers (7-5) in Shreveport, La. UNC will take the next three days off before practicing Sunday-Wednesday and then traveling to Louisiana on Thursday.
The players said that their bowl practices have been spirited so far, despite the lame-duck status of the coaching staff.
“No one wants to go into a game and lose,” Cooper said. “So we're going to prepare our best and go in to play our best.”
Also Wednesday, Withers made his first comments since the Fedora hiring was announced.
“Coaches are day-to-day,” Withers said. “You're always disappointed you didn't get something, but as a coach you learn to move on fast.”
Withers confirmed that he was leaving UNC after the bowl game but said only that he had talked to Ohio State.
“Nothing's official yet, but it's working that way,” Withers said. “When it's official you'll know.”
A source with knowledge of the situation said not to expect an official announcement until after the bowl game.
Withers said that switching jobs was part of the profession — he's about to move for the ninth time in 24 years. But like he has the entire season, Withers deflected attention away from his situation, instead claiming that his only focus was on helping the seniors “go out the right way.”
By beating Missouri, the seniors will have 32 wins, more than any class since 1998.
Quarterback Bryn Renner is dedicating the bowl game to the seniors and the coaches.
“I think Coach Withers did a great job with us this year and would loved to have had him as our head coach for a long time, but I don't make those decisions and I really don't want to,” Renner said. “We've had a great couple practices through exams, and we're ready to play for this whole staff and these seniors and send them out on a good note, because they've done a lot for us.”
SECONDARY ON MEND
Withers said that senior cornerback Charles Brown and senior safety Matt Merletti were both day-to-day. Brown sprained his right knee against Duke, while Merletti had surgery to remove loose cartilage in his left knee five weeks ago. “We'll see once we get to Shreveport what their status is,” Withers said.
