Lucas: The Culture Is Character

By Adam Lucas

Scott Forbes spent the better part of his life preparing to be a head coach.

And then, almost as soon as it happened—he accepted the Carolina head coaching job in August of 2020—the job description of a head coach completely changed.

For most of his assistant coaching career, building a team was about recruiting the very best high school prospects and then developing them once they got on campus. The biggest threat was signing a player who was too talented, because then a school could lose him to the major league draft.

In 2021, the NCAA allowed a one-time transfer without a one-year penalty. Also in 2021, the NCAA allowed college student-athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.

Roster construction instantly changed. Players were now free to move between schools without restrictions. Discussions about NIL money became an important part of the recruiting process.

Coaching became as much about being a general manager as giving the bunt sign. And Forbes, in his first year on the job, instantly had to decide how he wanted to adapt.

Now in his fourth season, with a College World Series appearance to his credit and the best record in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the regular season, his methods are working. But he doesn't have some secret analytics or covert recruiting approach.

"We've come up with a system we feel good about," he says. "Recruiting is almost a job interview from the standpoint of we want to find out anything we can about the potential recruit or person we're going to add. Not just a high school kid, but someone in the portal. We dive into the parents as well. You have to have great parents in your program and you want great kids of high character. They don't have to be perfect, but the culture has to remain."

The success of the 2024 team has been testament to that culture. Likely Friday night starter Jake Knapp, a senior, received significant buzz during the fall and preseason as he appeared poised to become a bona fide ace. Then, just before the season began, he was lost to an elbow injury.

Senior Johnny Castagnozzi started 52 games in 2022 and 36 games last year. This season, he's made just ten starts and gotten 43 at-bats, the fewest of his career.

Senior Patrick Alvarez got 95 at-bats last season. This year, he's gotten just eight.

All three are upperclassmen. All three could be forgiven for thinking about themselves at least as much as they think about the team.

And yet, all three were frequently mentioned by teammates as a key part of the character of the 2024 Tar Heels.

"Jake Knapp was going to be our dude this year," says Parks Harber. "But he does a really good job of constantly being about the team. To be able to do that coming off Tommy John surgery is incredible. Patrick Alvarez has been here for five years, and we see that from him every day. There's value in guys who have been through everything and still think about the team."

"Coach Forbes and even (strength coach Greg) Gatz said this is the most team-like team they've seen in a long time," says pitcher Dalton Pence. "Everybody is pulling for everyone else. We've seen it with Castagnozzi. Every game, every pitch he's on the fence cheering for our guys. It's no coincidence then that when he gets the call, he comes in and makes big plays. It shows how mature he is."

Harber is a transfer from Georgia who came in and started immediately. Pence is a Cherryville native who redshirted in 2022, started a handful of games in 2023, and has developed into one of Carolina's most trusted relievers.

They're emblematic of a Tar Heel starting lineup that features players from a wide variety of backgrounds. Alex Madera made the big jump from Division III to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Anthony Donofrio and Harber are transfers. Casey Cook, Vance Honeycutt and Colby Wilkerson are more traditional high school signees who have developed at Carolina. And the Tar Heels even tossed in a couple of freshmen this year, Gavin Gallaher and Luke Stevenson, who have been among the most productive rookies of the Forbes era.

The different backgrounds don't matter in the clubhouse.

"The culture Coach Forbes has instilled here was obvious to me right away," Harber says. "The guys here really took me in. I felt like I fit right in immediately. That kind of attitude starts at the top. Coach Forbes did an unbelievable job bridging the gap between the new guys and returning guys. From day one, he made us feel like Tar Heels, and the guys on the team have been so welcoming."

Forbes brushes off any notion that he's discovered the secret to roster balance. In his mind, it's much simpler than anyone realizes. He's realistic enough to know that NIL matters. Skill level matters. In fact, he's actually made his job somewhat more difficult by adding an extra layer to Carolina's recruiting process. In an era when outsiders often believe the highest bidder builds the most successful roster, he wants the best players--who will also be the best in the clubhouse.

Anyone can walk out to a high school field and find the best player, or look at the stats of players in the portal and identify a successful college player. He wants to look a little deeper.

"You have to understand that the most important thing in our team concept is winning," he says. "You have to be 100 percent bought into that. If you can't learn how to be selfless, then this probably isn't the program for you."

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Patrick Alvarez

Johnny Castagnozzi

Casey Cook

Anthony Donofrio

Gavin Gallaher

Parks Harber

Vance Honeycutt

Jake Knapp

Alex Madera

Dalton Pence

Luke Stevenson

Colby Wilkerson

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