UNC football: Mack Brown's Gene Chizik replacement is not an All-Star Special at all

Mack Brown has his North Carolina defensive coordinator hire scattered, smothered and covered, alright. After firing a former head coach who has won a national championship more recently than him in Gene Chizik, Brown is expected to hire former Georgia Tech and Temple head coach Geoff Collins. Let's just say Collins was the worst thing to happen to Atlanta football since Bobby Petrino...

John Brice of Football Scoop first reported the Collins connection to UNC. Collins is the Tar Heels' top target to replace Chizik as defensive coordinator and a deal is expected to be finalized here shortly. While Collins had success following Matt Rhule at Temple, he won fewer games during his four years at Georgia Tech (10) than Chizik won during his best season leading Auburn in 2010 (14).

Admittedly, Collins could prove to be a great pickup for the Tar Heels on the defensive side of the ball, as pretty much anything would be an improvement over what we saw out of Chizik's antiquated defense the last two years. However, all I can think about with Collins are his hokey recruiting tactics while at Georgia Tech, the kind that encouraged his offensive linemen to eat egg yolk at Waffle House.

All I want is for my FanSided colleague and False Start co-host Cody Williams to be happy, but the news of his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels hiring Collins has us crying like Brennan Huff and Dale Doback on the couch.

In the words of Dragon, Por Ti Volare. For those who don't speak Italian, it means time to say goodbye.

North Carolina to hire Geoff Collins as Gene Chizik's replacement at DC

Look. Collins' hire might be the case of him being a great defensive coordinator, but a middling head coach. He was a well-respected member on Dan Mullen's Mississippi State staff and Jim McElwain's Florida staff prior to taking over for Rhule at Temple. Truthfully, I hope it works out for North Carolina, but you have to wonder what Brown is thinking. It was Brent Key who owned him at Tech, not Collins...

For a team that had the looks of an ACC title contender in October, what Power Five program of note has taken as much of a hit in terms of its overall stock in the last quarter more than UNC? Brown is not getting any younger. Drake Maye is turning pro, as is Tez Walker. The defense has been utterly atrocious the last two years under Chizik. With the reported Collins hire, our pets heads are falling off!

To me, I have a hard time being optimistic about North Carolina football going forward. I do not know what the succession plan is after Brown calls it a career again, but I would be selling all of my stock if that succession plan is Collins. Maybe the Tar Heels will try to pry someone with North Carolina ties like Jamey Chadwell away from Liberty after next season? For now, Collins will have some work to do.

With news of the Collins hire, we wonder if Brown fell asleep standing up by the flat-top grill again.