University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Hire Andre' Powell as Running Backs Coach
January 23, 2001 | Football
Jan. 23, 2001
Chapel Hill, N.C. ----- University of North Carolina head football coach John Bunting has completed his coaching staff with the hiring of running backs coach Andre' Powell. Powell spent the last five years as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia, coaching wide receivers and running backs.
"His connection with Gary Tranquill is important because of his knowledge of the offensive system," Bunting said. "Andre' has coached other positions, but his specialty is coaching running backs. He is committed to developing backs that run well, block well, catch the ball out of the backfield and most importantly, place an emphasis on ball security. He was a tough, hard-nosed player and will be the same as a coach."
Powell has coached several former Cavaliers who currently play in the NFL, including tailback Tiki Barber and wide receivers Germane Crowell and Terrence Wilkins. Barber is currently the starting tailback for the Super Bowl-bound New York Giants.
"I'm excited about coming to North Carolina and working again with Coach Tranquill," said Powell. "I understand the terminology of his offense and it should be an easy transition. I came down to interview and after seeing the campus and meeting Coach Bunting, there was no question that I wanted to be here."
Powell coached running backs during his first season at UVa in 1996, then tutored the wide receivers for three years before returning to teach the running backs last season. He came to Virginia from Army where he was the running backs coach in 1995. He also spent the 1991 season at Army as the inside linebackers coach. In between stints with the U.S. Military Academy, Powell was the running backs coach at VMI in 1992 and at Rhode Island in 1993 and 1994.
Powell earned his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation in 1988 from Indiana, where he was a two-year letterwinner at running back. He was a member of Hoosier teams that participated in the 1986 All-American Bowl and the 1988 Peach Bowl and was the team's Most Improved Player as a senior. He was the lead blocker for 1,000-yard rusher Anthony Thompson in 1988.
Powell, 34, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Indiana and was a coach on the 1988 Liberty Bowl squad that defeated South Carolina. After two years at Indiana, he was a graduate assistant at South Carolina in 1990.
A native of Lockhart, S.C., Powell attended Lees McRae Junior College in Banner Elk, N.C., for two years (1984-85) before transferring to Indiana. He is married to the former Jody Thornton. The couple has a son, Marshall Andre' Powell II (4) and a daughter, Alayna (1).
Matthews Joins UNC's Strength & Conditioning Staff
Chapel Hill, N.C. ----- Clay Matthews, who served as an assistant strength coach at East Carolina last season, has been hired as an assistant strength coach at North Carolina. Prior to working at East Carolina, Matthews was a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech for one year.
A native of Richmond, Va., Matthews, 25, received a bachelor's degree in exercise science from East Tennessee State in 1997 and a master's degree in health education from Virginia Tech in 1999.
Matthews worked with Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Jeff Connors while at East Carolina and will assist with the football team at North Carolina.
-TarHeelBlue.com-
