Mack Brown Hired at UNC
— courtesy UNC Sports Information and goheels.com
MACK BROWN RETURNS TO LEAD TAR HEEL FOOTBALL PROGRAM
CHAPEL HILL – Mack Brown, whose charismatic style and disciplined approach propelled the University of North Carolina’s football program to the top 10 and the University of Texas to a national championship, is returning to Chapel Hill with the goal of leading another Tar Heel resurgence.
Brown, who will be inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame in December, won more college football games than any coach in the country over a 24-year period from 1990-2013.
He was previously the head coach of the Tar Heels from 1988 to 1997. He led Carolina to three 10-win seasons, six consecutive bowl games and two top-10 AP finishes. At Texas, the Longhorns won the 2005 BCS national title, two conference titles and four Big 12 South Division titles.
“Mack Brown has a proven record of building great teams, and he doesn’t just develop football players – he also develops people of strong character,” says Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “He knows how to win championships, and he expects his student-athletes to win in the classroom and community, as well. We are excited about his plans for our football program, and I am thrilled to welcome Coach Brown and wife Sally back to Chapel Hill.”
Brown (was) introduced as the Tar Heels’ head football coach at a press conference at noon today (Tuesday, Nov. 27).
“Sally and I love North Carolina, we love this University and we are thrilled to be back,’’ Brown said. “The best part of coaching is the players – building relationships, building confidence, and ultimately seeing them build success on and off the field. We can’t to wait to meet our current student-athletes and reconnect with friends, alumni and fellow Tar Heel coaches. We thank UNC’s Board of Trustees, Chancellor Folt and Bubba Cunningham for supporting our return to the Carolina family.”
Brown originally came to Chapel Hill after head coaching stints at Appalachian State (1983) and Tulane (1985-87). The Tar Heels went 69-46-1, posted winning records in each of his final eight seasons and finished in the AP top 25 four times. The 1996 team went 10-2, beat West Virginia in the Gator Bowl and finished No. 10 in the AP poll. A year later, UNC was 10-1 in the regular season and was No. 4 in the final coaches’ poll and No. 6 in the AP poll.
“This is a big day for Carolina,” says Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “We are welcoming back a coach who built a winning football program during his first tenure in Chapel Hill – one that reflected the values, culture, and commitment to the excellence we aspire to in everything we do at this University. While chancellor, I have gotten to know Mack and have always admired his commitment to the success of student-athletes and passion for the college game. I’m looking forward to welcoming Mack and Sally back home to Carolina.
At Texas, Brown went 158-48 (.767) from 1998-2013. The Longhorns won 10 or more games in nine consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in NCAA history, finished in the AP top 10 seven times, played in bowl games in a UT-record 12 consecutive seasons and set a school record with 10 bowl victories. He was national coach of the year in 2005 and 2008. In addition to winning the 2005 national championship by beating No. 1 ranked USC in the Rose Bowl, the Longhorns played in the national title game in 2009.
Brown has a 244-122-1 overall record in 30 seasons as a head coach, and stands 10th on the all-time wins list. He is second in all-time wins at both UNC and Texas.
He’s coached 37 first-team All-Americas (seven at UNC), six Academic All-Americas (one Tar Heel), 110 first-team all-conference selections (34 at UNC), 11 conference players of the year (one Tar Heel) and two College Football Hall of Famers in Dré Bly (UNC) and Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams (Texas).
Brown has wins in the Rose, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator, Holiday, Peach, Alamo and Carquest Bowls.
The NFL selected 108 of his players in the NFL Draft, including 22 first-round picks (six Tar Heels and 16 Longhorns).
Eighty percent of his players at UNC earned their degrees; at Texas, more than a third of his players earned 3.0 grade point averages and were named to the Big 12 honor rolls. From 2006-13, Texas placed a league-high 159 players on the Academic All-Big 12 team, 35 more than any other school.
The Cookeville, Tenn., native played collegiately at Florida State. He worked the last five years as a commentator for ESPN. He and his wife Sally, who met in Chapel Hill, have four children (Barbara, Chris, Matt, Katherine) and six grandchildren.
Financial Terms
• 5-year contract
• Base Salary – $750,000 per year
• Supplemental Compensation – $2 million per year
• Nike – $200,000 per year
• Learfield (personal services) – $500,000 per year
• Expenses – $50,000 per year
ACC Football Championship Week 2018
— courtesy of The ACC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
@ACCFootball
Upcoming ACC Football Schedule:
Saturday, Dec. 1, Time, TV, Sirius, XM, Internet
2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game
Clemson (12-0) vs. Pitt (7-5), 8 p.m., ABC, 84, 84, 84
Series: Pitt leads, 2-0; Last meeting: Pitt, 43-42 (Nov. 12, 2016)
ABC: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie, Molly McGrath
East Carolina (3-8) at NC State (8-3), Noon, ACCNE, 134, 387, 977
Series: NC State leads, 16-13; Last Meeting: East Carolina 33-30 (2016)
ACCNE: Kevin Fitzgerald, Stan Lewter
Marshall (8-3) at Virginia Tech (5-6), Noon, ACCNE
Series: Virginia Tech leads, 10-2; Last Meeting: Virginia Tech 29-21, 3ot (2013)
ACCNE: Josh Appel, Hutson Mason
Setting the Scene
Matchup: No. 2 Clemson will face Pitt in the 2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 1, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Coastal Division Champion Pitt will be making its first appearance in the game, while Atlantic Division Champion Clemson returns for the fourth straight season and sixth time overall. Clemson is trying to become the first team in ACC history to win four consecutive league championship games.
Prime Time Kickoff: The game will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be televised by ABC. This marks the 10th consecutive year the game has been televised in prime time.
Advancing: The winner of the conference championship game has gone on to play in the National Championship Game or compete in the College Football Playoff each of the previous five seasons.
Atlantic Division holds Championship Advantage: The Atlantic Division team has won nine of 13 previous Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship games, including the last seven in a row. Florida State (4) and Clemson (4) have the most titles. The last Coastal Division team to win the championship game was Virginia Tech in 2010.
Perfect Record: Clemson, which clinched a spot in the game three weeks ago with a win over Boston College, finished a perfect 8-0 in the Atlantic Division. The Tigers have won the last three ACC titles.
Previous Meetings: Clemson and Pitt have met just twice previously on the gridiron with the Panthers holding a 2-0 lead. Pitt beat Clemson, 34-3, in the 1977 Gator Bowl, and knocked off the Tigers, 43-42, in Clemson’s 2016 National Championship season.
Representing the ACC: Pitt, which joined the ACC in 2013, is the sixth different team to represent the Coastal Division in the last six years. The Panthers are the 10th different program to play in the game. Virginia Tech and Clemson lead all teams with six overall appearances, followed by Florida State with five.
Atlantic
• Clemson (2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
• Florida State (2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• Boston College (2007, 2008)
• Wake Forest (2006)
Coastal
• Pitt (2018)
• Miami (2017)
• Virginia Tech (2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2016)
• North Carolina (2015)
• Georgia Tech (2006, 2009, 2012, 2014)
• Duke (2013)
Bowl Eligibility: Ten ACC teams are bowl eligible, including Clemson (12-0), Syracuse (9-3), NC State (8-3), Boston College (7-5), Duke (7-5), Virginia (7-5), Georgia Tech (7-5), Pitt (7-5), Miami (7-5) and Wake Forest (6-6). Virginia Tech (5-6) is one win away from postseason eligibility and plays Marshall on Saturday at noon. A win would extend the nation’s longest active bowl streak to 26. The ACC leads all conferences with 21 bowl bids over the last two years (11 in 2016, 10 in 2017).
Panthers Fall to Seahawks
— by Patrick Magoon (patrickmagoon.com) of WIZS
The Carolina Panthers are a great football team until they get in their own way – a growing concern for the franchise. Despite losing to the Seahawks in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, the Panthers’ remain in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs. Here are five takeaways from Carolina’s 27-30 week 12 loss to Seattle.
Another game decided in the fourth quarter
Carolina has struggled to put games away this season. They start sloppy and then pick up the pace in the second quarter. Third quarter comes around and they fail to make adjustments, which then calls for a heroic performance from Cam Newton and his offense in the fourth quarter to pull out a win. The Panthers’ score a league-worst 1.3 points in the third quarter, but rank second overall in points scored in the fourth quarter (10).
A series of missed opportunities hindered success in the red zone
Several points were left on the field after the Panthers’ experienced a series of unpropitious events through different parts of today’s game. It started early on in the first quarter when head coach Ron “Riverboat” Rivera chose to keep the offense on the field on fourth down to try and keep the drive alive in the red zone. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner called for a quarterback run. Newton held the ball close, tucking his head behind his offensive line. His long legs churned as he fought for the extra yards. The initial ruling on the field was turnover on downs. Players, coaches and fans immediately turned to the big screen to watch replay from a camera that showed what looked like a successful first down run. Head coach Ron Rivera pondered the idea of challenging the ruling on the field for a few minutes before finally throwing the red flag. After further review, the decision on the field was upheld, and a potential scoring drive was cut short.
About five minutes later, Carolina’s offense unit reaches the red zone again, after back-to-back big gains from wide receivers Jarius Wright and D.J. Moore. The Panthers’ may have left that drive with three points, but they were in an excellent position to potentially cap off their exciting trip down the field with a touchdown if Turner had let Newton throw a pass into the end zone. Turner tried forcing McCaffrey into the end zone, which didn’t work. McCaffrey carried the ball three times in a row when Carolina was within 12 yards of the goal line and got nowhere.
The missed opportunities didn’t stop there. The Panthers’ had a chance to seal the win with a field goal from kicker Graham Gano. At the end of the fourth quarter, both teams had 27. Gano needed to make a 51-yard field goal. In short, he missed the mark by a few inches. After the game, Gano said he thought he hit the ball well.
An usual amount of fumbles
The final score of today’s game could have been very different had the Panthers’ not been able to recover their fumbles. Carolina fumbled a season-high five times. McCaffrey, the player responsible for three of those fumbles, needs to a better job of holding onto the ball moving forward.
Curtis Samuel and Moore are the future of the franchise
The absence of wide receivers Devin Funchess and Torrey Smith paved the way for another solid outing for playmakers Moore and Samuel. With every week that passes, Newton strengthens the mental bond he shares with his receivers. Samuel, again, proved that he is a hot target in the red zone. He took his first carry of the game 25 yards to Seattle’s 14-yard line. Two plays later, he reached the end zone – a seven-yard reception. Moore caught eight passes for 91 yards. These two versatile receivers have shown that can make a big play from just about anywhere on the field. Their physicality and speed allow them to terrorize the secondary unit of opposing teams when they get the ball in open space.
Newton was nearly flawless
Another remarkable performance by Newton was lost in a loss. Newton hardly missed a beat, throwing for 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His only mistake was a forced pass to tight end Chris Manhertz in the end zone, which was picked off by Bradley McDougald. He went 25/30 and finished today’s game with a QBR of 110.6.
Cornerbacks got outplayed
Donte Jackson’s early exit after an injury to his quad in the first quarter was a sign of bad things to come. Both cornerbacks Corn Elder (Jackson’s replacement) and James Bradberry were picked on throughout the game for giving up too much space in coverage and missing tackles. Some of the blame for the inconsistencies and miscommunication on defense does fall on Carolina’s defensive coordinator but tackling needed to be better – that is on the players.
Vance County Sheriff’s Office Charges Debnam With Murder
-Press Release, Office of the Sheriff, Vance County
Sheriff Peter White announces today that on Monday, November 26, 2018, the Vance County Sherrif’s Office charged LATOYA J. DEBNAM, age 40 of 2708 Raleigh Road, Henderson, NC, with murder, larceny of a firearm and possession of firearm by felon.
This case was investigated by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the NC State Bureau of Investigations for the November 20, 2018, death of Willie B. Smith, age 61 of 23 Ridgeway Drewry Road, Manson, NC. Debnam is currently in the Vance County Jail without bond. The court date is December 11, 2018.
Public Invited to Forums With VGCC Presidential Search Finalists
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College invites the public to attend three separate forums scheduled for Nov. 30, Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 to meet and provide input on the finalists for the presidency of the college.
The three public forums will be held each day from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in the Civic Center.
Dr. Quentin J. Johnson of Mooresville, currently vice president of Student Support Services at Guilford Technical Community College in Greensboro, will be at the college on Friday, Nov. 30.
Dr. Melanie W. Thornton of Albany, Ga., the vice president of academic affairs at Columbus Technical College in Columbus, Ga., will attend the forum on Monday, Dec. 3.
Dr. Rachel M. Desmarais of Clemmons, who is currently executive vice president and chief operating officer at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, will be present on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
Invitations to the forums also have been sent to county officials, school officials, area chambers, and VGCC faculty and staff, among other groups.
The three finalists were selected from among nearly 90 applicants on Monday, Nov. 19, at the regular bimonthly meeting of the college’s Board of Trustees on Main Campus. Following North Carolina Community College System protocol, the trustees have presented the finalists to the State Board of Community Colleges for vetting.
The VGCC Board of Trustees plans to have the new president in place early in 2019. The new leader will become the seventh president in the 49-year history of the college, replacing Dr. Stelfanie Williams who resigned in August to take a position at Duke University.
Quorum of Oxford Commissioners to Attend KLRW Advisory Board Meeting
-Public Notice, City of Oxford
PUBLIC NOTICE OF POSSIBLE QUORUM
Notice is hereby given that a quorum of the City of Oxford Board of Commissioners may be present for a joint meeting on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at 6 p.m. at Henderson City Hall – Council Chambers at 134 Rose Avenue, Henderson, NC of the Kerr Lake Regional Water Partners.
The KLRW Advisory Board will review the system upgrade project; including financial planning, a possible revision of the partner’s rate structure and allow questions from the partners. No action will be taken during this meeting. The public is welcome to observe.
For more information contact: Cynthia Bowen, Clerk to the City of Oxford Board at 919-603-1105 or by email: cbowen@oxfordnc.org.
VGCC Drama Students To Present ‘Crimes Of The Heart’
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College Drama students will present “Crimes of the Heart,” a Pulitzer Prize winning play, on Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 at VGCC’s Main Campus. The tragicomedy, written by American playwright Beth Henley, will be staged six times over the four days.
Performances begin on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 30, at 3 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 1, at 2 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m.; and on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. All performances are in the small auditorium in Building 2 on the Main Campus in Henderson.
The play features VGCC and Vance County Early College High School students Savannah Morgan as Lenny McGrath, Mary Parish as Babe McGrath Botrelle, Jamie McGinn as Meg McGrath, Rebekah Varker as Chick Boyle, Matthew Varker as Barnette Lloyd, and Blake Lee as Doc Porter.
Members of the cast and crew of VGCC’s fall production of “Crimes of the Heart” prepare for six performances of the Pulitzer Prize winning play Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. Shown above are, front row, from left, Nick Kurtz, stage manager/assistant director; Matthew Varker (portraying Barnette Lloyd); Blake Lee (Doc Porter); back row, Jamie McGinn (Meg McGrath); Savannah Morgan (Lenny McGrath); Mary Parish (Babe McGrath Botrelle); and Rebekah Varker (Chick Boyle). (VGCC Photo)
Set in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, in the mid-20th century, it’s the story of three sisters who gather to await news of their grandfather’s death.
Betsy Henderson, director of the show and VGCC’s Theatre Arts/speech instructor and department chair of Fine Arts and Humanities, said the sisters are characterized in this manner: “Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at 30 and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, who quickly outgrew Hazlehurst, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast; while Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach.”
She added, “Their troubles, grave and yet, somehow, hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by the awkward young lawyer who tries to keep Babe out of jail while helpless not to fall in love with her.”
The play is ultimately the story of how these young characters can escape their past to seize the future, Henderson said. “The telling of the story is very true and touching and consistently hilarious, guaranteed to entertain audiences,” she said.
In addition to winning the Pulitzer, the show was the winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award in 1981. A critic for the New York Times said, “While this play overflows with infectious high spirits, it is also, unmistakably, the tale of a very troubled family. Such is Miss Henley’s prodigious talent that she can serve us pain as though it were a piece of cake.”
The crew will be composed of Nick Kurtz, stage manager/assistant director; Jenna Walker, assistant stage manager/props; Megan Kokus, costume designer; Amanda Cease, costume and prop assistant; Lane Wade, sound board operator; and Cheyenne Guerrant, light board operator.
Admission is $10 for the general public and $5 for students and VGCC employees. Tickets may be purchased at the door, but attendees are encouraged to secure their seats by making reservations. For more information, contact Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3371, or purchase your tickets online through Eventbrite here.