University of North Carolina Athletics
Fedora Named FCA Coach Of The Year
January 11, 2016 | Football
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Larry Fedora has been named the Grant Teaff National Coach of the Year by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Fedora was presented the award Monday morning at an FCA breakfest held in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Association Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Fedora's fourth season in Chapel Hill saw the Tar Heels return to the national discussion thanks to a record-setting offense and a vastly improved defense. Carolina posted an 11-1 regular season and captured the Coastal Division with a perfect 8-0 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. UNC set more than 60 school records, including a school-record 11-game winning streak, and advanced to the program's first ACC Championship Game.
“My faith is extremely important in my life,” says Fedora. “It's safe to say I would not be the head coach at UNC if not for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I don't try to hide my faith and I don't try to hide it in the program either. I really believe when these players come to Carolina, my responsibility is to see them grow academically, socially and spiritually.”
One of the first coaches in the country to implement the spread offense, Fedora was quick to brand his style of play as “smart, fast and physical,” a mantra he's preached since he first became a head coach at Southern Miss in 2008. That style has paid dividends for UNC, which has averaged more than 425 total yards of offense per game under his watch and averaged more than 40 points in 2015.
