Gene Chizik reveals if he has aspirations to become a head coach again

After taking a five-year hiatus, Gene Chizik is a football coach once more. A former head coach at Iowa State and Auburn, Chizik helped lead the Tigers to a national title in 2010 with Cam Newton at quarterback.

Now he is back on the sidelines with the North Carolina Tar Heels after accepting a job in January to be the associate head coach and defensive coordinator. Although his return has caused some speculation on his future career trajectory, Chizik assured reporters recently he has “zero thought” about becoming a head coach again.

“I have aspirations right now to be the best fit I can for North Carolina as the guy that runs the defense,” he said in a summer press conference. “I want to be great for North Carolina, Mack Brown and these kids. I have absolutely zero thought about, ‘Am I gonna be a head coach?’ That means nothing to me. I’ve done all I can do in that. So I want to make that very clear that’s not in my wheelhouse. I’m extremely happy with this position and where I’m at working with the people I’m working with. All the other stuff is not even part of the discussion or thought for me.”

Gene Chizik has not been a head coach since the 2012 season when Auburn bought out his contract following a 3-9 finish. Over a combined six years with the Tigers and Cyclones, he compiled a 38-38 overall record and was 3-0 in bowl games.

Chizik worked for the SEC Network and even hosted his own radio show during the three years after he left Auburn. He returned to coaching before in 2015 as the Tar Heels defensive coordinator, but that lasted only two years as he once again returned to broadcasting in 2017.

But Chizik couldn’t ignore the itch to get back into coaching again and now joins Mack Brown’s squad ahead of next season. So far in the past three years in Chapel Hill, Brown has led UNC to a bowl game each season. That includes an appearance in the Orange Bowl in 2020. Chizik will certainly have his work cut out for him as he attempts to turn around a defense that finished 11th in the ACC in total defense and 12th in scoring defense this past season.

He’ll will look to make a positive impact with the team when North Carolina opens the 2022 season on Aug. 27 against Florida A&M.