Football
Chizik, Gene
Gene Chizik
- Title:
- Assistant Head Coach for Defense
- Phone:
- 919-966-2575
Gene Chizik, a 27-year veteran of collegiate coaching, returned to North Carolina for his second stint on Jan. 8, 2022. Chizik, who has won National Championships as a head coach at Auburn and a defensive coordinator at Texas, serves as the Assistant Head Coach for Defense on Mack Brown’s staff. He returned to college coaching after spending the previous five years in the media with ESPN and the SEC Network.
In addition to his pair of National Championships, Chizik has also collected a number of top coaching awards. He’s been the recipient of the Bear Bryant Award, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, the Bobby Bowden Coach of the Year Award, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award, the SEC Coach of the Year Award and the Broyles Award. Chizik was also a finalist for the Broyles Award during his first stint at Carolina.
In two seasons as defensive coordinator at UNC from 2015-16, Chizik turned around a unit that ranked No. 120 in yards per game the season prior to his arrival. Carolina was the nation’s most improved Power 5 defense in 2015, averaging 14.5 points per game fewer than the previous year. UNC also had the most improved pass defense in the country in both efficiency and yards per pass attempt, and was the fifth-most improved team in passing yards per game. Carolina led the ACC in interceptions, turnovers gained, turnover margin and passes defended en route to a record-setting 11-3 season, a berth in the ACC Championship Game and a No. 15 final ranking in both national polls.
In 2016, Chizik led a defensive unit that continued to improve, lowering its yards per play to 5.37 and its yards per game to 408.1. The Tar Heels led the ACC and ranked 16th nationally in passing yards allowed. The unit also allowed the fewest touchdown passes in the ACC and ranked fourth nationally in the category. Carolina allowed just 24.9 points per game, which was an improvement of 14.1 points per game from when he took over after the ’14 season.
Prior to his work in Chapel Hill, Chizik served as head coach at Auburn from 2009-12 and led the Tigers to three bowl victories, including the 2011 BCS Championship, which followed an undefeated 2010 season. He achieved unparalleled success at Auburn in his first three years as head coach. He won more games (30) than any other coach in the school’s rich football history, including the school’s first National Championship in more than 50 years. In addition, Chizik had an Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 970 or above in three of his four seasons, including a 985 in his third year and a 978 in his final season.
Chizik’s second season at Auburn was one for the ages as the program won BCS and SEC Championships, while he earned Home Depot and Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year honors, as well as AP SEC Coach of the Year accolades. The 2010 Auburn squad went a perfect 14-0, recording the program’s first title since 1957, and its first conference crown since 2004.
Players under Chizik’s tutelage earned several national awards, including the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Lombardi Award and Thorpe Award. In fact, he is the only coach in college football history to coach three consecutive Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back) winners from 2004-06.
After leaving Auburn in 2012, Chizik served as an analyst for ESPN, working primarily with the SEC Network. He also worked as a college football analyst with Sirius/XM radio.
Chizik was also heavily involved in college football reforms. In August of 2014, the NCAA invited him to serve on a 12-person committee tasked with examining the recruiting culture in college football and evaluating national letter of intent signing dates. The committee was organized in conjunction with the NCAA and reported to the Collegiate Commissioners Association.
Before being named Auburn’s head coach, Chizik served two seasons as head coach at Iowa State (2007-08), two as Texas’ defensive coordinator (2005-06), and three as Auburn’s defensive coordinator (2002-04).
Chizik was the defensive coordinator at Texas under Coach Brown when the Longhorns captured the 2005 National Championship. The Longhorns ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, 10th in total defense and fourth in pass efficiency defense. In 2006, Chizik’s Longhorn defenders were second nationally against the rush (58.8 ypg.) after 12 games, including limiting No. 1 Ohio State to just 79 yards on the ground. His aggressive schemes resulted in 100 tackles for loss, 96 quarterback hurries and 30 takeaways during the 2006 regular season.
Chizik coached six Longhorns to All-America honors in his two seasons, including Aaron Harris, Michael Huff and Rod Wright in 2005, and Tim Crowder, Michael Griffin and Aaron Ross in 2006. His defensive players earned 18 All-Big 12 awards during his tenure.
In three years at Auburn as defensive coordinator, Chizik helped the Tigers to a 30-9 mark including an 18-6 Southeastern Conference record. During those 39 games, the Tigers were able to defeat nine Top 10 programs, win three bowl games, and hold 24 of 39 opponents to two touchdowns or less, including 14 that managed single digits against his aggressive, physical defenses. He also tutored three All-Americans in Karlos Dansby, Carlos Rogers and Junior Rosegreen and had nine players earn 10 first-team All-SEC honors. Chizik had 10 players over three seasons that went on to be NFL draft picks.
His run as Auburn’s defensive coordinator culminated in 2004, when he helped guide the Tigers to a 13-0 season, an SEC Championship, and a Sugar Bowl victory, while earning the Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. That unit led the nation in scoring defense (11.3 ppg) and was fifth nationally in total defense, allowing just 277.6 yards per contest. Not only did they lead the nation in scoring defense, but they surrendered just four rushing touchdowns all season, including allowing none over the first eight games of the season. That vaunted 2004 defense featured eight of 11 starters that went on to play in the NFL, including 2005 first-round draft pick cornerback Rogers and defensive lineman Jay Ratliff, who earned All-Pro honors with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008.
In 2003, Auburn’s defense saw eight of 11 starters go on to play in the NFL. Led by first-team All-SEC picks Dansby, DeMarco McNeil and Dontarious Thomas, Auburn was fifth nationally in total defense, seventh in rushing defense and ninth in the country in scoring defense. By allowing less than 300 yards of total offense in consecutive seasons in 2003 (281.6 ypg) and 2004 (277.6 ypg), it marked the first time at Auburn since a six-year run from 1985-90, that an Auburn defense had accomplished the feat in back-to-back campaigns.
In his first season at Auburn, Chizik took a club that was 39th nationally in total defense the season before he arrived and improved it to 26th in the country while holding three Top 10 teams - LSU, Alabama and Penn State - to less than 10 points each en route to victory.
Prior to his first stint at Auburn, Chizik was the defensive coordinator for four seasons (1998-01) at UCF, where he improved a unit that was 81st nationally in total defense before his arrival to one that was 16th in the country in 2001.
Chizik spent six seasons at Stephen F. Austin from 1992-97, overseeing the linebackers (1992-94) and secondary (1995-97). He began his coaching career as defensive coordinator (1986-88) at Seminole High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., before becoming a graduate assistant at Clemson for a pair of 10-win teams in 1988-89. Chizik then became the outside linebackers coach at Middle Tennessee State from 1990-91, where the Blue Raiders made consecutive I-AA playoff appearances and won 21 games in his two-year stint.
Chizik earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Florida in 1985 and his master’s in guidance and counseling from Clemson in 1991.
A Clearwater, Fla., native, Chizik and his wife, Jonna, have identical twin daughters, Landry Grace and Kennedy Danielle, and a son, Cally.
Birthdate: Dec. 28, 1961
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
Wife: Jonna
Children: daughters, Landry Grace and Kennedy Danielle, and son, Cally
Education
College: Florida '85
Master's: Clemson '91
In addition to his pair of National Championships, Chizik has also collected a number of top coaching awards. He’s been the recipient of the Bear Bryant Award, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, the Bobby Bowden Coach of the Year Award, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award, the SEC Coach of the Year Award and the Broyles Award. Chizik was also a finalist for the Broyles Award during his first stint at Carolina.
In two seasons as defensive coordinator at UNC from 2015-16, Chizik turned around a unit that ranked No. 120 in yards per game the season prior to his arrival. Carolina was the nation’s most improved Power 5 defense in 2015, averaging 14.5 points per game fewer than the previous year. UNC also had the most improved pass defense in the country in both efficiency and yards per pass attempt, and was the fifth-most improved team in passing yards per game. Carolina led the ACC in interceptions, turnovers gained, turnover margin and passes defended en route to a record-setting 11-3 season, a berth in the ACC Championship Game and a No. 15 final ranking in both national polls.
In 2016, Chizik led a defensive unit that continued to improve, lowering its yards per play to 5.37 and its yards per game to 408.1. The Tar Heels led the ACC and ranked 16th nationally in passing yards allowed. The unit also allowed the fewest touchdown passes in the ACC and ranked fourth nationally in the category. Carolina allowed just 24.9 points per game, which was an improvement of 14.1 points per game from when he took over after the ’14 season.
Prior to his work in Chapel Hill, Chizik served as head coach at Auburn from 2009-12 and led the Tigers to three bowl victories, including the 2011 BCS Championship, which followed an undefeated 2010 season. He achieved unparalleled success at Auburn in his first three years as head coach. He won more games (30) than any other coach in the school’s rich football history, including the school’s first National Championship in more than 50 years. In addition, Chizik had an Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 970 or above in three of his four seasons, including a 985 in his third year and a 978 in his final season.
Chizik’s second season at Auburn was one for the ages as the program won BCS and SEC Championships, while he earned Home Depot and Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year honors, as well as AP SEC Coach of the Year accolades. The 2010 Auburn squad went a perfect 14-0, recording the program’s first title since 1957, and its first conference crown since 2004.
Players under Chizik’s tutelage earned several national awards, including the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Lombardi Award and Thorpe Award. In fact, he is the only coach in college football history to coach three consecutive Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back) winners from 2004-06.
After leaving Auburn in 2012, Chizik served as an analyst for ESPN, working primarily with the SEC Network. He also worked as a college football analyst with Sirius/XM radio.
Chizik was also heavily involved in college football reforms. In August of 2014, the NCAA invited him to serve on a 12-person committee tasked with examining the recruiting culture in college football and evaluating national letter of intent signing dates. The committee was organized in conjunction with the NCAA and reported to the Collegiate Commissioners Association.
Before being named Auburn’s head coach, Chizik served two seasons as head coach at Iowa State (2007-08), two as Texas’ defensive coordinator (2005-06), and three as Auburn’s defensive coordinator (2002-04).
Chizik was the defensive coordinator at Texas under Coach Brown when the Longhorns captured the 2005 National Championship. The Longhorns ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, 10th in total defense and fourth in pass efficiency defense. In 2006, Chizik’s Longhorn defenders were second nationally against the rush (58.8 ypg.) after 12 games, including limiting No. 1 Ohio State to just 79 yards on the ground. His aggressive schemes resulted in 100 tackles for loss, 96 quarterback hurries and 30 takeaways during the 2006 regular season.
Chizik coached six Longhorns to All-America honors in his two seasons, including Aaron Harris, Michael Huff and Rod Wright in 2005, and Tim Crowder, Michael Griffin and Aaron Ross in 2006. His defensive players earned 18 All-Big 12 awards during his tenure.
In three years at Auburn as defensive coordinator, Chizik helped the Tigers to a 30-9 mark including an 18-6 Southeastern Conference record. During those 39 games, the Tigers were able to defeat nine Top 10 programs, win three bowl games, and hold 24 of 39 opponents to two touchdowns or less, including 14 that managed single digits against his aggressive, physical defenses. He also tutored three All-Americans in Karlos Dansby, Carlos Rogers and Junior Rosegreen and had nine players earn 10 first-team All-SEC honors. Chizik had 10 players over three seasons that went on to be NFL draft picks.
His run as Auburn’s defensive coordinator culminated in 2004, when he helped guide the Tigers to a 13-0 season, an SEC Championship, and a Sugar Bowl victory, while earning the Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. That unit led the nation in scoring defense (11.3 ppg) and was fifth nationally in total defense, allowing just 277.6 yards per contest. Not only did they lead the nation in scoring defense, but they surrendered just four rushing touchdowns all season, including allowing none over the first eight games of the season. That vaunted 2004 defense featured eight of 11 starters that went on to play in the NFL, including 2005 first-round draft pick cornerback Rogers and defensive lineman Jay Ratliff, who earned All-Pro honors with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008.
In 2003, Auburn’s defense saw eight of 11 starters go on to play in the NFL. Led by first-team All-SEC picks Dansby, DeMarco McNeil and Dontarious Thomas, Auburn was fifth nationally in total defense, seventh in rushing defense and ninth in the country in scoring defense. By allowing less than 300 yards of total offense in consecutive seasons in 2003 (281.6 ypg) and 2004 (277.6 ypg), it marked the first time at Auburn since a six-year run from 1985-90, that an Auburn defense had accomplished the feat in back-to-back campaigns.
In his first season at Auburn, Chizik took a club that was 39th nationally in total defense the season before he arrived and improved it to 26th in the country while holding three Top 10 teams - LSU, Alabama and Penn State - to less than 10 points each en route to victory.
Prior to his first stint at Auburn, Chizik was the defensive coordinator for four seasons (1998-01) at UCF, where he improved a unit that was 81st nationally in total defense before his arrival to one that was 16th in the country in 2001.
Chizik spent six seasons at Stephen F. Austin from 1992-97, overseeing the linebackers (1992-94) and secondary (1995-97). He began his coaching career as defensive coordinator (1986-88) at Seminole High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., before becoming a graduate assistant at Clemson for a pair of 10-win teams in 1988-89. Chizik then became the outside linebackers coach at Middle Tennessee State from 1990-91, where the Blue Raiders made consecutive I-AA playoff appearances and won 21 games in his two-year stint.
Chizik earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Florida in 1985 and his master’s in guidance and counseling from Clemson in 1991.
A Clearwater, Fla., native, Chizik and his wife, Jonna, have identical twin daughters, Landry Grace and Kennedy Danielle, and a son, Cally.
The Chizik File
PersonalBirthdate: Dec. 28, 1961
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
Wife: Jonna
Children: daughters, Landry Grace and Kennedy Danielle, and son, Cally
Education
College: Florida '85
Master's: Clemson '91
Chizik Coaching History
| Years | School | Title |
| 2022- | North Carolina | Assistant Head Coach for Defense |
| 2015-16 | North Carolina | Defensive Coordinator |
| 2009-12 | Auburn | Head Coach |
| 2007-08 | Iowa St. | Head Coach |
| 2005-06 | Texas | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers |
| 2002-04 | Auburn | Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs |
| 1998-2001 | UCF | Defensive Coordinator/Secondary |
| 1992-97 | Stephen F. Austin | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers/Secondary |
| 1990-91 | Middle Tennessee St. | Defensive Ends |
| 1988-89 | Clemson | Graduate Assistant/Linebackers |
| 1986-88 | Seminole HS | Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers |
Postseason Experience As a Coach
| Years | School | Bowl |
| 2022 | North Carolina | Holiday Bowl |
| 2016 | North Carolina | Sun Bowl |
| 2015 | North Carolina | Russell Athletic Bowl |
| 2011 | Auburn | Chik-fil-A Bowl |
| 2010 | Auburn | BCS National Championship |
| 2009 | Auburn | Outback Bowl |
| 2006 | Texas | Alamo Bowl |
| 2005 | Texas | BCS National Championship |
| 2004 | Auburn | Sugar Bowl |
| 2003 | Auburn | Music City Bowl |
| 2002 | Auburn | Capital One Bowl |
| 1995 | Stephen F. Austin | FCS Semifinals |
| 1993 | Stephen F. Austin | FCS First Round |
| 1991 | Middle Tennessee St. | I-AA Quarterfinals |
| 1990 | Middle Tennessee St. | I-AA Quarterfinals |
| 1989 | Clemson | Gator Bowl |
| 1988 | Clemson | Citrus Bowl |
Carolina Insider - Interview with Henri Veesaar (Full Segment) - September 8, 2025
Monday, September 08
UNC Field Hockey: Carolina Holds Off Princeton, 3-2
Sunday, September 07
UNC Women's Soccer: Tar Heels Shut Out JMU, 3-0
Sunday, September 07
UNC Volleyball: Tar Heels Sweep Oral Roberts
Sunday, September 07
