How UNC got their coaches: weird stories from the early days of college sports

Posted Sep 3, 2020
UNC's first football coach, Hector Cowan, was a star player at Princeton, who came down and coached the Carolina team DURING his playing career. The first ever basketball coach, Nat Cartmell, was an track and field Olympian who helmed that program at the school. He only took on the basketball gig because the school didn’t want to hire another person. (Tar Heel Blog)

Related: Baseball, Baseball Recruiting

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - UNC's Top 10 Moments Of 2025-26 - Seth Trimble's Heroics Down Duke
UNC Basketball stuns Duke with Seth Trimble’s electrifying last-second shot, rewriting rivalry history. It comes in at No. 3 on our Top 10 moments of...
Fri Jul 3, 2026

Orioles prospect Vance Honeycutt showing more glimpses of tantalizing talent with Frederick Keys
Outfielder Vance Honeycutt blends athleticism, speed and sterling defense in a 6-foot-3 frame. He’s a clubhouse leader. When he makes contact, the ball often leaps...
Thu Jul 2, 2026

Re-visiting UNC's 2026 season after College World Series run
UNC proved itself as one of college baseball's best teams in 2026, making it to the third College World Series Finals in program history. UNC...
Thu Jul 2, 2026

UNC Pitcher Caden Glauber Returning to UNC For Sophomore Season
Caden Glauber isn’t going anywhere. The Diamond Heels’ freshman phenom will return to Chapel Hill for his sophomore season, giving North Carolina one of the...
Wed Jul 1, 2026