We’re still over five months away from the start of college football season, but on Monday, the North Carolina Tar Heels have added another staff member.
And it addresses a unit that struggled in 2023 for the Tar Heels.
Per Inside Carolina, the Tar Heels are adding Eric Mele as a special teams analyst. Mele comes from Mississippi State, where he was the special teams coordinator in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
In terms of kickoffs and punts, North Carolina was among the ACC’s worst in 2023. They ranked 13th in kickoffs, second-worst among all programs, plus dead-last in punting.
“Put a good gameplan in, hope we can execute, and change the game in a positive fashion,” Mele said about the impact of special teams in an interview last year with 247Sports. “Get us on the board and get that momentum. Special teams is all about momentum, so if we can it in our favor that would be a good deal.”
Mele has a solid kicker to work with in Noah Burnette, who made 19 field goals and all 43 of his extra-point attempts. If Ben Kiernan is healthy for Week 0, Mele will likely spend more time coaching him than Tom Maginness.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.