University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications
GoHeels Exclusive: A Football Family
August 11, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
In the days leading up to North Carolina announcing the hiring of Mack Brown as its new head football coach in November, Torin Dorn heard rumblings of his former coach's possible return.
But he elected not to relay any of what he heard to his second son, senior defensive back Myles Dorn. Instead, Torin gave Myles the chance to find out who his new coach would be on his own. As soon as the news became official, though, the elder Dorn – a defensive back on Brown's first two UNC teams in 1988 and 1989 – told Myles what he could expect.
"When Mack Brown decided to come back," Torin said, "I was like, 'You know what? You're getting a good coach because he's going to shoot it to you straight, he's going to get you guys on the right path and all you guys have got to do is follow his lead.'
"Once he came back and (the team) started seeing all the good things he is doing, you can tell the atmosphere around the program started to get better."
That's been palpable inside the Kenan Football Center the last eight months. And it was certainly evident Saturday.
As part of the Carolina Football Family Practice Event, former members of the football program were invited to watch the Tar Heels' first intrasquad scrimmage at Kenan Stadium. Tours of the new football facilities were offered during it. Attendees then joined the current members of the team for lunch in the Blue Zone.
Inside there, much of the discussion revolved around the positivity surrounding the program.
"Mack left on a good note and we're so excited to have him back," said former tight end Greg DeLong (1991-94). "His dynamics as not only a recruiter but as an excellent football coach, that's kind of what we needed. We needed that spark back here in this community."
Since Brown's return, one of his biggest priorities has been rebuilding the football alumni network. Saturday's event marked another step toward that.
In past years, the alumni program, previously known as the Carolina Lettermen's Association, consisted of only players who lettered at UNC. But in an effort to make it more inclusive and encourage unity, the name was changed to the Carolina Football Family, which now includes former players, coaches, managers, trainers and videographers.
During the lunch, Rick Steinbacher, UNC's senior associate athletic director for capital projects and facilities, informed attendees of that change and how steps are being taken to merge the lettermen's database with the University's alumni database to ensure every person who has ever been associated with the program is invited to future alumni events. Those announcements were well received.
"When you have a couple of down years in any sport, the family, they're fighting amongst themselves and there's that separation with teammates and alumni coming back," DeLong said. "You don't necessarily have that big support.
"I don't know when our program is going to turn around, but it will and we just have to be patient and believe what the man tells us with his recruits and his coaching staff and the players who are currently here. He's going to work them and be a coach. Mack is also a father and we look up to him. He put his arm around me just a minute ago just like it was old times."
Moments after DeLong said that, there Brown was, his left arm wrapped around Torin as they posed for a picture. But before one could be taken, Brown yelled across the room for Myles. The senior hustled over and joined them for a photo that Brown tweeted out from his personal account minutes later.
"How cool is it to have coached both Torin and Myles Dorn?" read Brown's tweet. "Two great players from an incredible family."
The Dorn family, of course, but also the Carolina Football Family.
"It is a family," Torin said. "Once you get out of here, you graduate and you stop playing ball, you see people around different states and around different communities (who ask), 'You play ball?' 'Yeah, I play ball.' 'You went to Carolina?' 'Yeah, Carolina.' It's huge. And that's what he's giving them, a family.'"
In the days leading up to North Carolina announcing the hiring of Mack Brown as its new head football coach in November, Torin Dorn heard rumblings of his former coach's possible return.
But he elected not to relay any of what he heard to his second son, senior defensive back Myles Dorn. Instead, Torin gave Myles the chance to find out who his new coach would be on his own. As soon as the news became official, though, the elder Dorn – a defensive back on Brown's first two UNC teams in 1988 and 1989 – told Myles what he could expect.
"When Mack Brown decided to come back," Torin said, "I was like, 'You know what? You're getting a good coach because he's going to shoot it to you straight, he's going to get you guys on the right path and all you guys have got to do is follow his lead.'
"Once he came back and (the team) started seeing all the good things he is doing, you can tell the atmosphere around the program started to get better."
That's been palpable inside the Kenan Football Center the last eight months. And it was certainly evident Saturday.
As part of the Carolina Football Family Practice Event, former members of the football program were invited to watch the Tar Heels' first intrasquad scrimmage at Kenan Stadium. Tours of the new football facilities were offered during it. Attendees then joined the current members of the team for lunch in the Blue Zone.
Inside there, much of the discussion revolved around the positivity surrounding the program.
"Mack left on a good note and we're so excited to have him back," said former tight end Greg DeLong (1991-94). "His dynamics as not only a recruiter but as an excellent football coach, that's kind of what we needed. We needed that spark back here in this community."
Since Brown's return, one of his biggest priorities has been rebuilding the football alumni network. Saturday's event marked another step toward that.
In past years, the alumni program, previously known as the Carolina Lettermen's Association, consisted of only players who lettered at UNC. But in an effort to make it more inclusive and encourage unity, the name was changed to the Carolina Football Family, which now includes former players, coaches, managers, trainers and videographers.
During the lunch, Rick Steinbacher, UNC's senior associate athletic director for capital projects and facilities, informed attendees of that change and how steps are being taken to merge the lettermen's database with the University's alumni database to ensure every person who has ever been associated with the program is invited to future alumni events. Those announcements were well received.
"When you have a couple of down years in any sport, the family, they're fighting amongst themselves and there's that separation with teammates and alumni coming back," DeLong said. "You don't necessarily have that big support.
"I don't know when our program is going to turn around, but it will and we just have to be patient and believe what the man tells us with his recruits and his coaching staff and the players who are currently here. He's going to work them and be a coach. Mack is also a father and we look up to him. He put his arm around me just a minute ago just like it was old times."
Moments after DeLong said that, there Brown was, his left arm wrapped around Torin as they posed for a picture. But before one could be taken, Brown yelled across the room for Myles. The senior hustled over and joined them for a photo that Brown tweeted out from his personal account minutes later.
"How cool is it to have coached both Torin and Myles Dorn?" read Brown's tweet. "Two great players from an incredible family."
The Dorn family, of course, but also the Carolina Football Family.
"It is a family," Torin said. "Once you get out of here, you graduate and you stop playing ball, you see people around different states and around different communities (who ask), 'You play ball?' 'Yeah, I play ball.' 'You went to Carolina?' 'Yeah, Carolina.' It's huge. And that's what he's giving them, a family.'"
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