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

Reese Brantmeier, Jason DeCaro, Ryleigh Heck Earn UNC’s 2026 Patterson Medals
Two NCAA champions and a hard-throwing All-America ace on two College World Series teams are the winners of the 2026 Patterson Medals, UNC's most prestigious...
Tue Aug 4, 2026

Red Sox top two draft selections pick up where they left off at UNC in debut weekend
Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull barely let their Tar Heels touch the ground before making an immediate impact in the Red Sox system. Boston’s top...
Mon Aug 3, 2026

Newsletter: UNC Basketball Explores Wild New Portal Window, Football Opens Camp Amid Investigation
UNC Football kicked off training camp this past week, but the headlines weren’t about touchdowns. Basketball had its own bombshell: a court ruling reopened eligibility...
Mon Aug 3, 2026

Former UNC baseball All-American Scott Bradley let go as Princeton head coach after 28 seasons
Former Seattle Mariners catcher Scott Bradley was let go by Princeton University after serving as head coach of the Tigers for 28 years. While this...
Sun Aug 2, 2026