Gene Chizik Steps Down as North Carolina DC: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

Gene Chizik is stepping down from the North Carolina Tar Heels defensive coordinator position he held for two years.

On Thursday, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports provided Chizik's statement to the "Carolina Faithful" that said he is planning on spending more time with his family:

Chizik said, "Personally, it has been extremely difficult on my family and me. We have been apart for the last two years for the first time in my 30-year coaching career."

He continued: "I have spent 30 years coaching and mentoring young men to not only be great players, but also great fathers, husbands and men. It is time for me to invest that energy into my own son as he approaches his last two years of high school, and to make my daughters and Jonna my focus."

Feldman highlighted the improvement the Tar Heels defense demonstrated under Chizik's watch from a dismal unit to a much more effective one by the end of last season:

Season	Yards Per Game	Yards Per Play
2014 (before Chizik)	498	6.53
2015	436	5.50
2016	408	5.37

North Carolina went 11-3 and earned an appearance in the Russell Athletic Bowl in 2015 and followed that up with an 8-5 record and Sun Bowl appearance in 2016. It was 6-7 in 2014 before Chizik arrived to revamp the defense.

Chizik is a familiar name among college football fans for more than his work with the Tar Heels. He was the head coach at Iowa State in 2007 and 2008 and finished with a disappointing 5-19 record but was much more successful with Auburn.

He led served as the Tigers' head coach from 2009 to 2012 and led them to three straight winning seasons, including the 2010 campaign when he won a national title and finished 14-0 with star quarterback Cam Newton. However, he was fired after a 3-9 season in 2012.

As for North Carolina, Mark Heim of AL.com noted Chizik is the third coach to leave since the end of last season. Defensive line coach Tray Scott went to Ole Miss and then Georgia, and defensive backs coach Charlton Warren went to Tennessee.

Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora will have some work to do without Chizik and others with a team that is not ranked in Bleacher Report's Brian Pedersen's early Top 25.