Freddie Kitchens to coach North Carolina in bowl game

Field Level Media|published: Sun 1st December, 17:17 2024

Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens paces the sideline in the fourth quarter during an NFL Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Bengals won 33-23. Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Football 12 29 2019

Former NFL head coach Freddie Kitchens will serve as interim coach for North Carolina's expected bowl game after the recent firing of Mack Brown.

Kitchens served as run game coordinator and tight ends coach the past two seasons. Brown's final day as head coach is Sunday.

"Freddie Kitchens is an incredibly talented coach who is respected by our student-athletes and staff," North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a news release. "He is dedicated to doing all he can to help lead our program through this transition, and we appreciate his willingness to take on this role."

North Carolina informed Brown last week that he wouldn't return as coach in 2025. Saturday's 35-30 loss to North Carolina State was his final game and concluded a 6-6 regular season, including 3-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Kitchens, 50, went 6-10 in 2019 in his one season as coach of the Browns.

That was part of 16 seasons he spent in the NFL as a coach. He held assistant posts with the Dallas Cowboys (2006), Arizona Cardinals (2007-17), Cleveland (2018) and New York Giants (2020-21).

Brown is the winningest coach in North Carolina history with a record of 113-79-1 over two stints (1988-97, 2019-24).

--Field Level Media

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