Former Alabama QB becomes North Carolina’s interim coach

North Carolina named former Alabama quarterback Freddie Kitchens as the Tar Heels’ interim coach on Sunday. He takes over from Mack Brown and UNC prepares to finish the season with a bowl trip.

Kitchens is in his second season as the Tar Heels’ tight ends coach and run game coordinator.

“Freddie Kitchens is an incredibly talented coach who is respected by our student-athletes and staff,” North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham said in a university news release. “He is committed to doing what he can to lead our program through this transition and we appreciate his willingness to take on this role.”

Kitchens won Alabama’s Mr. Football award in 1992 as a quarterback at Etowah High School.

Kitchens shared quarterback duties at Alabama with Brian Burgdorf in 1995 before taking over as full-time undercenter for the Crimson Tide during the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

He sold cars in Tuscaloosa at Magnolia Nissan and BMW before beginning his coaching career at Glenville State in 1999.

After three more college stops, Kitchens entered the NFL in 2006 as the Dallas Cowboys’ tight ends coach and remained in the league for the next 17 seasons, including as head coach of Cleveland in 2019 when the Browns went 6-10.

Brown’s second stint as North Carolina coach ended Saturday with a 35-30 loss to North Carolina State. UNC informed Brown on Monday that he would not return for the 2025 season.

Brown posted a 44-33 record in six seasons and joined the Tar Heels after working as an analyst for ESPN. He was fired by Texas in 2013 after 16 seasons with the Longhorns. His 35 seasons as a collegiate head coach totaled a 288-155-1 record and included a first game against North Carolina from 1988 to 1997.