ISSUE XL
BREAKTHROUGHS
REACHING HIGHER LEVELS
YOU’RE A PART OF EVERY PLAY
YOUR SUPPORT CREATES EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR TAR HEEL STUDENT-ATHLETES. P.O. BOX 2446 | CHAPEL HILL, NC 27515 | (919) 843-2000 | RAMSCLUB.COM @THERAMSCLUB
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Times are changing in Chapel Hill. In the last 12 months, the University of North Carolina has welcomed a new chancellor and the announcement of a succession plan for athletic director. By the time you read this, there may be a new executive director of The Rams Club. And there is, of course, a new football coach in town. We’ll have extensive coverage of some of the details of all of those changes, plus what they mean for Tar Heel fans and UNC athletics overall, in our next issue. That edition will have more about new executive associate athletic director (and successor to Bubba Cunningham as Carolina’s athletic director in 2026) Steve Newmark and more on the change at the top of The Rams Club. Right now, though, with the 2025-26 academic and athletic year about to begin, we wanted to focus on the playing fields with the Tar Heels. Last year at this time, there weren’t too many Carolina fans who knew substantial details about players like Kate Faasse, Kane Kepley or Drake Powell. But all three—and many more Heels—were instrumental in the success of their Carolina teams over the course of the 2024-25 school year. Faasse, our cover subject this month, won the MAC Hermann Trophy as the national player of the year on the way to helping new head coach Damon Nahas and the women’s soccer program win the national championship. There’s more on her breakthrough, and what she might do for an encore, in this issue. Kepley was the cornerstone of a Carolina baseball offense that advanced to the doorstep of the College World Series, and parlayed his one year in Chapel Hill into a second round MLB Draft selection. Powell was a highly touted recruit who thrived once he was moved to his more natural position after a Carolina lineup shuffle near midseason; his physical gifts then rocketed the Pittsboro native into the first round of the NBA Draft, where he was picked 22nd and joins the Brooklyn Nets. As the athletic department moves into a new school year, there are multiple Tar Heels who we may not know on a first-name basis just yet, but will be an integral part of dozens of Carolina victories over the next nine months.
They’re part of one of the most successful athletic departments in all of college sports. Carolina finished fifth in the most recent Learfield Directors’ Cup, and the Tar Heel women won the Capital One Cup for outstanding performance during the 2024-25 athletics year. The plan is for those victories to be just the beginning. Being very good, and maybe even being the best, doesn’t mean there’s not room to be better. That’s why Lee Roberts is this issue’s back page columnist, as the chancellor explains how even while experiencing success in multiple areas—and even in times of transition—there are still plenty of opportunities for Tar Heel breakthroughs.
Adam Lucas Editor in Chief
PRODUCED BY THE RAMS CLUB // EDITOR IN CHIEF ADAM LUCAS // CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LEE PACE & ANDREW STILWELL // PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES, JEFFREY CAMARATI, KAYLA DAVIS, MAGGIE HOBSON & UNC ATHLETICS// DESIGN JUJUBE SPORTS PUBLISHING
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“You can expect a tough, smart, dependable team, a team that communicates a lot, a team that’s well put together, well driven, a team with a chip on their shoulder. Everybody has something to prove.”
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— TAR HEEL CORNERBACK THADDEUS DIXON
TAR HEEL BREAKTHROUGHS edition
ON THE COVER: Last year, Kate Faasse became just the eighth Tar Heel to win the MAC Hermann Trophy as the nation’s best player. Only two Tar Heels in history have won back to back awards: Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow. COVER PHOTO: JEFFREY CAMARATI TOC PHOTOS: JEFFREY CAMARATI, MAGGIE HOBSON, AND GETTY IMAGES
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EDITOR’S LETTER p. 3
BREAKTHROUGHS
With an eye all the way from Charlie Justice to Gio Lopez, is Bill Belichick finally constructing a Tar Heel program that is nationally competitive?
BREAKTHROUGHS
Breakthroughs 20 Football Two key Tar Heels to watch this fall BY LEE PACE BREAKTHROUGHS
22 A Storybook Season
One year ago, Kate Faasse had never started a Carolina game. Now she’s a national champion and national player of the year. BY ADAM LUCAS BREAKTHROUGHS
CAROLINA EVERYWEAR p. 10
TAR HEEL TICKER p. 6
14 Built to Break Through BY LEE PACE
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24 Basketball Breakthroughs
28 It’s Their Time BREAKTHROUGHS
Four fall Olympic sport standouts poised for a big 2025 BY ANDREW STILWELL
30 So Good, So Young BREAKTHROUGHS
Chloe Humphrey’s breakthrough freshman season featured the highest team and individual accolades BY ANDREW STILWELL
34 Getting His Game Back BREAKTHROUGHS
Ben Griffin rediscovered his love of golf and has experienced a resurgent 2025 BY LEE PACE
FIRST PERSON
38 Strategic Focus
Keep an eye on these Tar Heels on the hardwood this season
Carolina is making breakthroughs in athletics that will help the overall University break through to the next level
BY ADAM LUCAS
BY LEE ROBERTS
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TA R H E E LT I C K E R MEMBER RESPONSES
BREAKTHROUGHS
We asked Rams Club members who they see as the breakthrough student-athlete or team across Carolina athletics for 2025-26 Photos by Jeffrey Camarati, Maggie Hobson & Joe Bray
Zihan Liu // Beijing, China Kate Faasse, my former classmate! She scored the most goals last season and won the national championship for UNC. I am really excited to see what she will bring us this year. It could possibly be another championship. Go Heels!
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Michele DeFoe // Raleigh, NC Kate Faasse and the Carolina women’s soccer team. Would love to see a repeat national championship with the best player in the country returning for her senior season! Wesley Eagle // Raleigh, NC Really excited to see women’s soccer defend their national championship season. New addition Bella Devey had a breakout performance at TST this year. Excited to see how she meshes with the already stellar players from last year’s team. Mark Leary // Waxhaw, NC Caleb Wilson. Jonathan Overton // Raleigh, NC Caleb Wilson: due to his offensive versatility to attack and pull up. Gio Lopez: look forward to seeing how his precision and accuracy line up with our receiving corps and new offensive scheme under Bill Belichick and Freddie Kitchens. Diamond Heels: so many new faces with the recent departures, excited to see how the upcoming season unfolds; specifically interested in seeing how Ryan Lynch and McDuffie perform as sophomores; excited to see Gavin Gallaher’s leadership as well as a rising junior. Danny Mullis // Mount Pleasant, SC Caleb Wilson.
Jenner Wood // Atlanta, GA Men’s basketball and baseball. Caleb Wilson from Atlanta. Steve Brown // Wilkesboro, NC Caleb Wilson because of the recent buzz about him. Plus, we need to get roundball back on a solid footing. Bill Parmelee // West Palm Beach, FL Caleb Wilson and Gavin Gallaher. David Newsham // Chapel Hill, NC I’m most excited to watch Caleb Wilson play in the Smith Center. I think he’s the right piece for the team, and I can’t wait to see how his game translates to college scene. I’m definitely keeping an eye on Demon June. He’s got a very similar play style to Omarion which will help fill that powerback role this season. I definitely see us all talking about him once the season is over. Shane Cassida // Burnsville, NC I know most people will probably be looking at the football team as the breakthrough answer, but for me, it’s Hubert Davis and the men’s basketball team. I am looking at Year 5 as the year where consistency starts to occur. It’s an unfair comparison to Coach Williams and what he managed to do from 2003-2005. He’s a HOF’er and that was a loaded team ready to go. It just needed the hand of a master. NIL and the portal on top of recruitment were a tough transition for the Heels. Coach Smith was on the hot seat for six years! The charge was a lack of consistency and mediocre finishes. One recruit (RIP Larry Miller) changed it all in Year 6. Keith Richardson // Durham, NC Seth Trimble. I know it is incredibly exciting to watch new transfers and recruits, but you can’t help and marvel at Seth’s devotion to the Heels in a time period where that is rare. On the court, he has improved every single year. Really looking forward to watching him exhibit his leadership skills. And, of course, I am excited to see how the UNC football team does. Sami Cone // Brentwood, TN We’re excited for Seth Trimble’s senior season and to see the UNC women’s tennis team make a deep run again! Terryll Joy // Bolivar, TN Seth Trimble. Jane Milan // Charleston, SC Jonathan Powell.
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TA R H E E LT I C K E R Lindsay Carroll // Durham, NC Lanie Grant was fearless as the youngest player for the women’s basketball team last year. She led the team in scoring in 4fourgames, played quality minutes against the eventual national champion, highlighted an incredible comeback at Louisville, and was money from the line in clutch situations all year. She’s an easy kid to root for, and I can’t wait to see how she does with a year of college experience under her belt.
Nick Delahanty // Garfield, NJ Lanie Grant from women’s basketball. She is poised for a big sophomore jump!
Peter McHugh // Winston-Salem, NC Davion Gause, Lanie Grant, and the entire softball team.
Nick Poteat // Hillsborough, NC QB Gio Lopez is the guy I have my eyes on. I think he has great leadership skills and will be able to make dynamic plays on the field. I am also looking at the women’s basketball team. Coach Banghart did a great job coaching the Heels last season. I feel like this team can make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament. The women’s game continues to grow stronger with each passing season.
Ryan Hoder // Apex, NC I am excited to see Gio Lopez and the football team tear it up on the gridiron this year. I am also looking forward to the men’s basketball team beating the odds this season and performing strong.
Dusty Tompkins // Charlotte, NC Gio Lopez. I think this staff will find creative ways to make guys differentiators.
Jerry Giles // Creswell, NC I’m excited to see our young quarterbacks under our new head coach this fall in Kenan Stadium as well as supporting all UNC athletes and bringing home some more championships.
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Mary Nickerson // Mebane, NC The reimagined football team!
Christian Clark // Waco, TX I’m excited to see running back Davion Gause in the backfield this fall. UNC has had a recent successful track record of NFL-caliber backs (Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Ty Chandler, British Brooks, Omarion Hampton, etc.), so it’s going to be exciting how Gause takes the reins and propels the Tar Heels to new heights. Watching the Williams-Carter duo in college was electric so I’m sure Gause and others like senior Caleb Hood and transfer Benjamin Hall will produce in Freddie Kitchens’ offense. I am equally excited to see transfer Henri Veesaar for men’s basketball. North Carolina has been looking for a do-it-all big man and I’m confident we have our guy! I got to see him play last year in Waco (Arizona v. Baylor) and he’s legit.
Andrew Baysden // Charlotte NC Jordan Shipp. He represents everything we want a student athlete to be. Especially in this new era. Henri Veesaar – we need him to dominate at the five position.
TA R H E E LT I C K E R Dan Gauss // Raleigh, NC Football. Looking forward to seeing a TEAM that plays physical, disciplined and doesn’t fade at the end of the year.
Stewart Dula // Charlotte, NC Will Hardy, hands down.
Jan & Reggie Wright // Vestavia Hills, AL Like all Heels, super anxious to see our football team take the field; but our women’s lacrosse team had such a special year. So, really anxious to watch Ashley Humphrey develop as a stronger leader this coming season. It really was special with her two sisters on the team.
Lara Ratkovic // Durham, NC I love the GymHeels women’s gymnastics team! I try to attend every home meet at Carmichael because they are always entertaining, and the athleticism and dedication of these young women is truly admirable. The program is building momentum and crushing their goals. I have a feeling we’ll be talking about Jojo Valahovic’s sophomore season and celebrating Kia Forbes and Gwen Fink’s senior seasons. It’s impossible to call out all the talent on that team individually. Collectively, they are becoming unstoppable. If you haven’t – check them out on Instagram or join me at Carmichael for a home meet this winter if you’re local! GO HEELS!
Quay Youngblood // Chapel Hill, NC The Diamond Heels! The pitching group is loaded with several great arms: Jason DeCaro, Ryan Lynch, Walker McDuffie and others.
Roger Thuotte // Hillsborough, NC Diamond Heels Baseball. Looking forward to contending for the ACC Championship and Omaha. This is possible with Ryan Lynch and Walker McDuffie returning. Love watching Walker and Ryan pitch. They both are aggressive and exhibit no fear on the bump.
Frances Edwards // Banner Elk, NC I am most excited to see what Lee Sowers, Walker McDuffie, and Ryan Lynch will bring next year to the Diamond Heels. The Diamond Heels fell short this year – just one game away from Omaha – and I anticipate that Coach Forbes will be looking to work on taking the Diamond Heels to Omaha in 2026.
Joshua Martinez // Rocky Mount, NC I am looking forward to watching the men’s soccer program. They have gotten a lot of star recruits that will complement the team very well. I am also looking forward to see how this great coaching staff will lead the team to victory and success!
Dennis Goss // Chapel Hill, NC We’re going to be talking a lot about a dominant North Carolina field hockey team winning its ninth consecutive ACC Tournament and bouncing back to win its 12th National Championship! You can bank on it.
Andrew Wissick // Y adkinville NC The whole UNC wrestling team.
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C A R O L I N A E V E R YWE A R Rams Club members like to wear their Carolina Blue, and they’ll wear it all over the US and the world. If you have a photo of you in your Carolina gear in front of notable landmarks in the US and abroad, send them our way to be a part of Carolina EveryWear!
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To have your photo included: -Send your photo digitally to bornandbred@ramsclub.com. -Identify everyone in your photo and the location of the photo. Here are the “Rules”: -At least one person in the photo has to be a Rams Club member -You must be wearing Carolina gear -You must be in front of a notable landmark (sorry, as cool as Kenan Stadium and the Smith Center are, they don’t qualify). SHOW US YOUR COLORS!
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1) Doug Nelson of Wilson, NC, at Beaver Creek Resport in Avon, Colorado; 2) Terry & Beverly Rudolph of Chapel Hill at Cliffs of Moher, Ireland; 3) Clayton, Susan, Kristen, Karen, Cara & Gregory Greene of Tabor City, NC, at CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 4) Carolina, Christy, Christopher & Caleb Holland of Clayton in Alaska (their 50th state!); 5) Susan & Frankford Johnson of Hamilton, VA, in San Juan, Puerto Rico; 6) Chesley, Martha, Brinkley & Ben Lucas of Sanford, NC, at Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada; 7) Stephen & Jennifer Hunter of McLeansville, NC, with their children in Parliament Square in Nassau, The Bahamas; 8) Beth Harris Isenhour of Chapel Hill in Long Market Square in Gdansk, Poland; 9) Ann Blenheim of Blenheim, SC, at Playa Hermoso in Costa Rica; 10) Laura Van Sant & Claude Piercy of Carrboro, NC, at Spooky Gulch Trail in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah; 11) Tiffany Martin of Statesville, NC with Ann & Stephen Yokeley of Mount Airy, NC, at Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras; 12) Brian Allen & Kathryn Bishop of Belville, NC, at Devil’s Tower in Wyoming; 13) Julia & Keith McCombs of Fuquay-Varina, NC, in Pisa, Italy; 14) Derwick & Martha Paige of Morrisville, NC, in Osaka, Japan; 15) Burke & Terri Haywood of Raleigh at Peggy’s Point Lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada; 16) Michael & Laura Abernathy of China Grove, NC, at Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, NC; 17) Nathan Benfield of Fredericksburg, TX, at Machu Picchu in Peru; 18) Jim Leggette of Starkville, MS, in Bari, Italy; 19) Chris & Sarah Shafer of Cumming, GA, at Ambergis Cay, Turks & Caicos; 20) Marvin Carver of Chapel Hill (with flag) with Lisa Layman, Will Layman, Robin Smith, Claire Layman & Scott Layman in Kruger National Park, South Africa; 21) Jack & Audrey Harris of High Point with David & Margaret Todd of Winston-Salem in Dubrovnik, Croatia; 22) Daniel & Jessica Simmons of Sanford, NC, at the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska
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INVEST IN EXCELLENCE Carolina Athletics has a long tradition of excellence. From more than 60 team national championships to countless conference championships across our 28 teams, Carolina is among the greatest college sports programs in the country. You can ensure the tradition continues during a time when college sports is undergoing great changes. Two initiatives are in place to ensure Carolina Athletics remains adaptable, competitive, and sustainable in this dynamic environment - the Carolina Athletics Excellence Fund and Carolina Athletics Excellence Endowment. These initiatives will allow UNC to seize new opportunities, as well as plan for future challenges. Learn more at ramsclub.com/excellence, or scan the QR code to make your gift today. Scan the QR code to make a gift to the Carolina Athletics Excellence initiatives!
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BREAKTHROUGHS
WITH AN EYE ALL THE WAY FROM CHARLIE JUSTICE TO GIO LOPEZ, IS BILL BELICHICK FINALLY CONSTRUCTING A TAR HEEL PROGRAM THAT IS NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE? BY LEE PACE // PHOTOS BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
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hey ranged from Gayle Bomar from the mid-1960s to Jeremiah Gimmel and Brian Anderson of more recent vintage, a couple hundred former Tar Heels eating pizza and quaffing cold beverages around a tent on the west lawn outside Kenan Stadium in the waning twilight of a mid-April Saturday afternoon. “A Bill Belichick story?” Willie Parker muses. “Man, I’ve got a great one. I tell this all the time.” Parker, a Tar Heel tailback from 2000-03 before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, was playing in his first Pro Bowl in Honolulu in February 2007. The AFC team was coached by Belichick, the New England Patriots coach who had collected three of what would be a total of six Super Bowl rings. The game was tied 14-14 at halftime, and Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was not, shall we say, exhibiting the kind of focus, resolve and professionalism to meet Belichick’s standards, no matter that it was an all-star exhibition game where the spectators were wearing leis and drinking Mai tais. “At halftime, Coach pulled everyone together,” Parker says. “He looked at Chad and chewed him pretty good. He said, ‘Cut the crap. We came here for one reason and one reason only. We’re the best of the best. Let’s act like it. What would be better than to get that paycheck [the winners collected an extra $27,000] and have some fun?’” Parker smiles. “We won the game. We’re in the locker room after and Coach looks at Chad. ‘Okay, now you can act the fool.’ “That’s Coach Belichick. I thought, ‘Wow, this is different.’ He’s a helluva coach, a helluva coach. To get those big personalities and egos to calm down, get on board and play ball, that’s coaching.”
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Parker nods toward the Kenan Football Center and the playing field beyond, just moments before the Tar Heels conducted spring practice No. 15 on April 11 in a public-access event dubbed “Practice Like A Pro.” “I can just imagine what he’s doing for these kids.” And so it was in March and April as the Tar Heels and first-year coach Belichick took to the playing field for spring ball. There was little fanfare and limited publicity, Belichick saying the priority for his staff and team are that actions count, words do not. But one by one, former Tar Heels, university officials and Friends of Bill came through Chapel Hill and the practice facility to check it all out. They saw players emerge from a winter condition regimen under new strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera, who spent a dozen years with Belichick at New England, as being noticeably more challenging than years past. The official count was 450 pounds of muscle added and 125 of fat lost. They saw Belichick eschew the use of the indoor facility to be outside at almost all times and watched with interest as he directed the playing surface at Kenan Stadium to be converted back to natural grass after a 2019 switch to artificial surface. Figuring who’s who was a challenge, Belichick outfitting the players in numberless jerseys in an emphasis on the team over the individual. “It’s a long journey,” Belichick said as practice began in early March. “There’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of practices and a lot of meetings and a lot of hard work to put in. The players have responded. They seem generally excited and enthused to be playing football, which anybody would be after you put in several weeks of training. It’s time to get out there and finally play.”
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BUILT TO BREAKTHROUGH
BREAK THROUGH ramsclub.com 15
BREAKTHROUGHS After three decades of hit-and-miss football, of the passion and toughness John Bunting brought in 2001 only to win only one game in three; of Butch Davis’s swagger and talent accumulation only to implode with a tweet in the summer of 2010; of Larry Fedora’s blitzkrieg offense that won 11 straight games in 2015 but turned limp afterward without a marquee quarterback; of Mack Brown’s energy and early recruiting acumen only to get swallowed up in a new world of the transfer portal and NIL; Carolina’s administration has gone all-in in hiring a head coach with eight Super Bowl rings. The money is there for scholarships, staff and infrastructure. The coaching acumen coming to Chapel Hill is the talk of the football world. If this isn’t breakthrough material, God forbid. “If this university wants to think of itself as a football school, they’ve got the right coach in place now,” says Tim Goad, a mid1980s Tar Heel noseguard who played a decade in the NFL, including one year with Cleveland with Belichick as head coach. “We definitely have the right coach. We’ll see if this place can get really, really good at football. As far as any coach I’ve played for, as far as Xs-and-Os go, game planning, he’s the best one I’ve played for.” Other former Tar Heels took in spring practice as well, among them Don McCauley and Ken Huff. Belichick smiled to himself shortly after his arrival in Chapel Hill in December to find that the head coach’s office suite was named “The Don McCauley Suite,” the tribute coming from one of McCauley’s late 1960s teammates, Paul Miller, who had named the suite in McCauley’s honor years ago. That Belichick had an umbilical cord to the Tar Heel program already in place was well-known, his father having coached on George Barclay’s staff for three years in the mid-1950s and Bill proudly displaying his dad’s coaching sweatshirt from that era at his introductory press conference in December. But now here was another little omen that maybe Belichick was in the right place. His mind fluttered back to 1975, his first year in coaching when he was a $40-a-week jack-of-all-trades for head coach Ted Marchibroda and the Baltimore Colts. McCauley, who rushed for 1,720 yards for the Tar Heels in 1970 to set the college single-season record, was in his fifth season in Baltimore. And there were two former Tar Heel offensive linemen on the team, second-year man Robert Pratt and the rookie Huff. McCauley and Huff each remember how the 23-year-old Belichick, one year removed from the football and lacrosse teams at Wesleyan College, stood out for his work ethic and how he seemed to be smart beyond his years. Belichick did each player a “service,” as Vito Corleone would say, staying late after practice to throw passes to McCauley so McCauley could improve his ability to snare a ball just inside the chalk and keep his feet inbounds, and helping Huff, a late arrival to training camp because of having participated in the old College All-Star Game, get acclimated with
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BUILT TO BREAK THROUGH the playbook and logistics around training camp. “History means something,” Lombardi says. “When “I remember how hard he worked, how serious he was and how organizations understand the meaning because we as leaders focused he was on making sure the little things were done right,” explained the history, the new members will strive to match the McCauley says. “It was Bill’s idea to have me work on keeping prior excellence. We tell our players every day—Tar Heels fight for my feet inbounds, turning and finding the ball in the sun. Those Tar Heels.” things never occurred to me. That was Bill. Always an idea to get Those outside the immediate “Carolina Football Family,” as better. He was always thinking. You could see that mind racing.” the fraternity of former players, assistant coaches and support “Bill was the first in the NFL to break film down by situations and staffers is known, have taken an interest as well. Vaughn Moore down-and-distance,” Huff says. “He would cut and splice reels of is a 1983 Carolina graduate who’s enjoyed considerable success film together so that each side of the ball knew what the opponent in the business world, rising to president and CEO and later that week liked to do in every chairman and CEO of AIT situation. It was incredibly Worldwide Logistics, a global tedious work. That spoke to transportation management his attention to detail even concern headquartered in then.” Chicago. He’s on the Executive McCauley and Huff both Board of The Rams Club live locally and reached out and has had a considerable to Belichick in late February philanthropic impact on and scheduled a visit. What Carolina and Chapel Hill and they thought might be a was on the committee that 15-minute “how-you-doingworked with Chancellor Lee great-to-have-you-here” fist Roberts and Athletic Director bump turned into a twoBubba Cunningham on the and-a-half-hour stroll down search that landed Belichick memory lane, the coach in December. He’s observed sitting amidst unpacked Belichick’s early days not as boxes in his office, content much as a football fan but in the moment to reconnect as a fellow chief executive with a part of his coaching of a large and complex history. Huff happened to see organization. his phone buzz through with “The level of confidence a call from old NFL teammate from Bill and Mike has been LEFT TO RIGHT: CHICAGO CUBS PRESIDENT OF BASEBALL OPERATIONS JED HOYER, and ace running back Joe something to behold,” Moore CAROLINA FOOTBALL GM MICHAEL LOMBARDI, HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK AND Washington, so he answered says. “They have confidence VAUGHN MOORE AT A CHICAGO BULLS GAME the call, put Washington in their ability to put a plan on the speaker phone and the four of them reminisced for 15 together and to execute it. I’m a little bit in awe of their level of minutes. confidence. But with them it’s like, ‘Been there, done that.’ They’ve “Bill attacks everything with a keen eye,” Huff says. “He knew had a huge level of success and will be successful here. And I exactly what he was doing when he came here, and I think he was like one element of their culture that works in any business—‘We ready for it. It was a new challenge for him. People like Bill relish before me.’ They will not put the individual above anyone else.” a challenge. We could tell, he’s excited to be here.” Moore made a contribution to the football program in 2020 to Belichick and GM Michael Lombardi welcomed all the former help underwrite the cost of a design makeover to Kenan Football Tar Heels, with Lombardi speaking often about the need to Center, with Brown believing the 23-year-old facility needed further the program’s connections to its history. Belichick has a refresh from the dark wood emphasis of the mid-1990s to a personally rummaged through storage rooms in the building for fresher, brighter palette that would appeal more to recruits and interesting memorabilia, most notably finding a vintage No. 22 20-something football players. Moore’s generosity on the fourth Charlie Justice jersey from the late 1940s and displaying it in his floor, where the head coach’s office and individual position office. Lombardi, who worked as a scout under Coach Bill Walsh coaches offices were located, was recognized with lettering at San Francisco in the 1980s, cites Walsh’s proclivity to remind identifying it as the “Vaughn Moore Coaches Suite.” his staff and players that “Marines fight for Marines.” Moore was surprised when Belichick reached out shortly
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BREAKTHROUGHS after arriving in town to ask if Moore minded that Belichick in the program’s cap and the University’s cap. It’s great to see was making some operational changes to the structure of the him back on the field doing exactly what he does best and loves building. Most notably, Belichick felt isolated working out of the to do, which is to coach and teach. I would never claim to be a head coach’s office and wanted a workspace on the second floor, football expert, I’m a lacrosse coach, but coaches know coaching. where position meeting rooms, the team meeting room, players’ What I see out here is a staff starting at the bottom and building lounge and dining hall were located. He asked Kenan Stadium a foundation and a culture based off discipline and hard work and facility director James Spurling to direct construction workers sound fundamentals.” to rearrange some walls and outfit Belichick with an office with Pietramala was perched in the catbird seat the last year a desk, computer, TV and a few chairs. He mounted photos of watching the arc of Belichick’s career, from Belichick leaving defensive luminaries and ex-Tar Heels Lawrence Taylor, Julius the Patriots in January and taking the Carolina job in December. Peppers and Chris Hanburger. He understood firsthand that being away from coaching for a “It was a courtesy call,” Moore says, “one he didn’t have to make. year could have a refreshing, jump-starting, cathartic effect, He said he wasn’t going to be spending as much time on the fourth Pietramala taking a year off after leaving Johns Hopkins in floor. He wanted me to know that. He 2020 and getting back into the game said he wanted to be connected to at Syracuse. After the Tar Heels players, to work on their floor. They stumbled down the homestretch can walk by and talk, they don’t have of both the 2022 and ’23 seasons, to make an appointment. He wants Belichick understood that the them to feel comfortable coming in, Carolina job was at least “in play” asking questions. He wants to coach depending on how the 2024 season them and teach them. He can do that evolved, and hinted to Pietramala on the second floor better than from that he’d be paying attention. To the fourth.” those in the media and sports A frequent spectator at practice world at large who first heard of the -DAVE PIETRAMALA when his duties as defensive Belichick / Carolina negotiations that coordinator for the Tar Heel lacrosse first week of December 2024 and team didn’t interfere was Dave Pietramala, who joined Coach dismissed the union out of hand, Pietramala shook his head. Joe Breschi’s staff in the summer of 2023. Pietramala was the “Bill is very much a traditionalist and an historian of all sports,” head coach at perennial lacrosse power Johns Hopkins for he says. “It’s of great value to him that that his dad coached here, two decades and collected two national titles. Growing up in that Bill lived here for three years, that his first words were ‘Beat Maryland, Belichick played lacrosse and football and has a Duke,’ all the things he talked about at his press conference. lifelong passion for both. Pietramala and Belichick met in the That is gospel and all matters to him very much. The opportunity early 2000s and bonded over their love of sport and coaching to follow in the footsteps of his father, whom he had so much and have been close ever since. respect for, only adds to the lure of being here.” Pietramala is asked what he sees with his friend outfitted It’s a lot to digest, for sure, beginning with the realization that in navy and Carolina blue gear and running a college football that is indeed Bill Belichick outfitted in his hoodie, blowing his practice. whistle and harping on blocking techniques and running a Tar “No. 1, it’s not football without Bill Belichick in the game,” Heel football practice. Pietramala says. “You’re talking about arguably the greatest NFL “I think Bill is looking at this like a big piece of clay,” Pietramala coach ever. The fact he’s brought those talents and the talents of says. “What can we do here? That excites him. I think that excites close friends and staff members to Chapel Hill is a huge feather him very much.”
“
“WHAT I SEE OUT HERE IS A STAFF STARTING AT THE BOTTOM AND BUILDING A FOUNDATION AND A CULTURE BASED OFF DISCIPLINE AND HARD WORK AND SOUND FUNDAMENTALS.”
LEGACIES ARE BUILT HERE
Behind 850+ Carolina student-athletes are supporters who are establishing their legacy with Carolina Athletics through long-term philanthropic planning with The Rams Club. Planned gifts combine your philanthropic goals with smart financial strategies. To learn more about simple, meaningful and tax-wise giving opportunities, contact Beth MacKethan at 919-843-6448 or beth@ramsclub.com
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BORN & BRED
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G I O
BREAKTHROUGHS
L O P E Z
BY ADAM LUCAS // PHOTOS BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
FOOTBALL
BREAKTHROUGHS 20 B O R N & B R E D
FOOTBALL BREAKTHROUGHS
GIO LOPEZ
T
R-Sophomore - Quarterback - 6’0’’ - 203 lb - Madison, Ala.
he Tar Heels have been blessed with riches at quarterback five of the last six years with Sam Howell and Drake Maye. Now Lopez is the top candidate given Max Johnson is still recovering from a serious leg injury and Bryce Baker is a true freshman. Lopez started 11 games for South Alabama last season,
averaging 275 yards per game (good for No. 22 nationally). He threw for 18 touchdowns and only five interceptions and completed 66 percent of his throws. And he’s an excellent dual threat, scampering past defenders for nearly five yards after contact.
THADDEUS DIXON R-Senior - Cornerback - 6’1’’ - 185 lb - Los Angeles, Calif.
T H A D D E U S D I XO N
M
arcus Allen is solid at one cornerback, but Carolina needs a dude on the opposite side. Say hello to the long and rangy transfer from Washington. Dixon stands 6-1 and can run, meaning it’s hard to go over the top of him and difficult to run past him. He started 12 games last year and over two seasons with the Huskies has two interceptions and 16 pass breakups. And he has the gravitas to don jersey No. 1.
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BREAKTHROUGHS
K A T E F A A S S E
BY ADAM LUCAS PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI
A STORYBOOK
SEASON 22
BORN & BRED
A STORYBOOK SEASON
One year ago, Kate Faasse had never started a Carolina game. Now she’s a national champion and national player of the year.
I
n front of the entire sports world, Kate Faasse stood on stage at the ESPYs representing Carolina athletics. She was joined by women’s soccer head coach Damon Nahas and women’s lacrosse representatives Jenny and Kate Levy and Chloe, Nicole and Ashley Humphrey (all fellow national champions). And that was around the time Faasse finally had an opportunity to appreciate the magnitude of her 2024-25 year. She and the Tar Heels won the national championship, the program’s 22nd NCAA title. Individually. Faasse won the Hermann Trophy as the player of the year in women’s soccer. And in mid-July at the ESPYs, she helped the Tar Heels accept the Capital One Cup as the most successful Division I women’s athletic program over the entirety of the school year. So, yes, it was a pretty successful year. Partially because of the constant series of successes, it was also extremely busy. Which meant that this summer was her first opportunity for the final step of her breakthrough campaign: she took a moment to appreciate what she had done. “I think it’s extremely important to take that pause to recognize and truly enjoy the year that my team and I just had,” she said. “It’s very easy to keep pushing forward without ever acknowledging how far I’ve truly come. My journey at UNC has been nothing short of a roller coaster, and to be able to recognize the grit, passion, desire and resilience I’ve put into this game and my development makes me so proud of myself. It has reminded me why I started, why I find love in this game, why I keep playing this game and why I never gave up on myself through the ups and downs. It also has helped me appreciate everyone who stood by my side throughout my journey and never let me give up on myself.” In an era of instant gratification in college sports, her standout season is atypical. The Phoenix native played just 233 minutes as a freshman. Those minutes tripled as a sophomore, but she still never cracked the starting lineup. And then came the breakthrough. She entered the 2024 season with four career goals; she led the nation with 20 as a junior. That made her just the fourth player this century to win a national championship while also leading the country in goals.
“Looking back, the key was my confidence and mindset,” she says. “In 2022 and 2023 I was figuring things out, building confidence and learning through many trials and errors. In 2024, I came in with an undeniable confidence in myself. I had a chip on my shoulder and I had something to prove.” That outlook mirrored the program mindset. After a rash of departures over the winter of 2023, the Tar Heels occasionally had to scramble just to have enough players to practice during spring workouts. Many of those transfers were Faasse’s closest friends and classmates, but she wanted to stay in Chapel Hill. That made her part of a core that didn’t flinch when Anson Dorrance resigned in the days before the 2024 season opener, with Damon Nahas assuming head coaching duties— first on an interim basis, and then earning the full-time job after Carolina’s incredible season. “People were really looking forward to the demise of the program,” Nahas said. “But we had the right core people back and the right leadership to make sure that didn’t happen.” It’s obvious in the way he says it that Nahas was keeping close track of the doubters. And he was one of the few people aware that the Tar Heels were bringing in some key transfers who were ready to make immediate contributions. Along with, of course, a returnee in Faasse who was primed for perhaps the biggest leap forward in the country. She didn’t just score goals in quantity; she made sure they were of high quality. Her eight game-winning goals led the Atlantic Coast Conference and tied for the national lead. She scored eight times in the postseason, and posted a brace in the ACC championship game against Florida State. Which just leaves one question: now what? “The next step is to not just replicate that success, but to build off that confidence, momentum and desire to want more,” she said. “I don’t want to get comfortable and define myself by one singular season. 2025 for me is about staying hungry, staying grounded and figuring out how to raise the bar again. I’ve seen what I’m capable of when I’m surrounded by such an amazing group of women who continue to push me every day. Now it’s about growing, staying consistent, refining the little things and being open to learn more.”
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BREAKTHROUGHS
C A L E B W I L S O N BY ADAM LUCAS // PHOTOS BY MAGGIE HOBSON & KAYLA DAVIS
BASKETBALL
BREAKTHROUGHS 24 B O R N & B R E D
BASKETBALL BREAKTHROUGHS
CALEB WILSON
I
Freshman - Forward - 6’9’’ - Atlanta, Ga.
t’s tougher to have a breakthrough season as a freshman than it used to be. After all, Carolina is adding nine players to the roster this season. Six of them have prior college or overseas experience. The constantly shuffling college rosters simply make it more difficult for a true freshman to earn the significant minutes required to put together the type of season that qualifies as a true breakthrough. Caleb Wilson, however, might be the exception. The highly touted 6-foot-9 prospect from Atlanta has already
NYLA BROOKS resh off a season when a Virginia high school product, Lanie Grant, had an excellent freshman campaign, the Tar Heels are poised to do it again with a player from the Commonwealth. Freshman Nyla Brooks hails from Waldorf, Md., but attended Bishop Ireton in Alexandria and earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Virginia. She also collected virtually every national honor possible, including a McDonald’s All-America selection and participation in the Jordan Brand Classic. Now she’ll play alongside Grant on what should be a very talented Carolina team that will be replacing some key veterans, but also infuses some impressive new talent both through traditional recruiting and the transfer portal. Brooks may be the gem of that group. Her ability to score and rebound all over the court means she’s certain to earn meaningful minutes.
Freshman - Guard - 6’1’’ - Waldorf, Md.
N Y L A B R O O K S
F
showed off impressive versatility and athleticism during summer workouts. He has the length to be a defensive asset and appears very likely to be a member of the starting lineup. As with any freshman, he’ll have some off nights. But there are signs that even his uneven performances could come with important contributions. As a bonus, his infectious personality is likely to captivate the Carolina fan base. He’s not just a good player—he’s a good player who is fun to watch and seems to have fun playing.
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26 B O R N & B R E D
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BY ANDREW STILWELL // PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI
FALL SPORT
BREAKTHROUGHS OLIVIA THOMAS
Junior - Forward - Grosse Pointe, Mich.
2
OLIVIA THOMAS
024 saw the breakout of Kate Faasse, who went from starting zero games her sophomore year to earning National Player of the Year honors as a junior. Entering her own junior season, Olivia Thomas, the reigning College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player, has the potential to ride a wave of momentum into 2025. Despite missing nearly a third of last season due to injury, she still managed to rank second on the team in goals with nine.
28 B O R N & B R E D
ANDREW CZECH
R-Senior - Midfield/Defender - Elmhurst, Ill.
O
ne of five Tar Heels to log more than 1600 minutes during the 2024 season, including playing the full 90 minutes in 17 of the team’s 18 games, Czech will look to start in every game for the Tar Heels for the third consecutive year. While he did not find the back of the net in his most recent season, Czech doubled his assist count from 2023 to 2024, and will be a key contributor. If he maintains—or even improves—his senior year form, 2025 could be his most influential season yet.
FALL SPORT BREAKTHROUGHS
SAFI HAMPTON
Junior - Outside Hitter - Jessup, Md.
S
SAFI HAMPTON SANNE HAK
afi Hampton is poised for a breakthrough 2025 season as UNC’s most experienced returning outside hitter. With the departure of several top scorers, Hampton steps into a prime opportunity to take on a leading offensive role. She posted 291 kills and 3.27 points per set in 2024, both good for second on the team. Now, with fewer veterans ahead of her and a clearer path to a starting spot, Hampton’s combination of athleticism, versatility, and previous production makes her a strong candidate to emerge as a key playmaker for the Tar Heels.
Junior - Midfielder/Forward - Bussum, Netherlands
H
ak, a Dutch transfer from the University of Amsterdam, had a promising first season. Known for her calm and precise finishing, especially on penalty strokes, Hak scored key goals in high-pressure games throughout 2024. With veteran attackers and midfielders graduating after last season’s NCAA runner-up season, Hak could very easily assume a larger offensive responsibility. Her technical skill, field awareness, and consistent performance in clutch moments suggest she could significantly increase her scoring output.
S A N N E H A K ramsclub.com 29
BREAKTHROUGHS
C H L O E H U M P H R E Y
BY ANDREW STILWELL PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI
SO GOOD,
SO YOUNG 30 B O R N & B R E D
SO GOOD, SO YOUNG
Chloe Humphrey’s breakthrough freshman season featured the highest team and individual accolades
C
hloe Humphrey has played just one season of lacrosse for Carolina but already has a playing career of which most fouryear student-athletes could only dream. She got to play collegiate lacrosse with her two older sisters. The Tar Heels had an undefeated 22-0 season, en route to an ACC championship and a national championship. Not only did she win a national championship, but she was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Humphrey’s 90 goals set the NCAA freshman record and Carolina’s single-season record. She was named a first team All-America and honored with the Tewaaraton Award, lacrosse’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy, and first winner — men’s or women’s — in Carolina history. After her first collegiate season, she went on to win a gold medal for the United States in the 2025 Pan Am Games. And yet, it’s nearly impossible to get Humphrey to focus on any individual accolades. When asked what she’s looking forward to most next season, Humphrey doesn’t talk about breaking more records or winning more awards. She talks about those around her. Her coaches. Her teammates. “I’ve been counting down the days until we’re back on campus,” Humphrey said. “I just miss my teammates so much.” For the rising redshirt sophomore attacker from Darien, Conn., it’s never about her. It’s about being part of Carolina lacrosse, a program she dreamt of playing for when she was younger. “Chloe is a great teammate who wants to make those around her better,” said Tar Heel head coach Jenny Levy. “She’s going to do her job on the field and be unbelievable and brilliant, but she’s also going to celebrate the details and celebrate their successes of her teammates too.” While Humphrey’s dreams may have been realized, it’s easy to wonder how she could possibly follow up a season like the one she just completed. But to understand what’s next, you need to understand the road Humphrey took to get here.
A MINOR SETBACK FOR A MAJOR COMEBACK
Humphrey’s high school accolades speak for themselves — state championships, National Player of the Year awards from USA Lacrosse and USA Today, and the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023 by Inside Lacrosse. However, instead of stepping on the field in the fall for her
first preseason workouts, a stress reaction in her foot left her in a walking boot and on crutches. Her freshman season was supposed to be the moment her dreams of playing for Carolina were realized. Instead, the year was over before it even started. “I couldn’t get out of bed—I was so sad,” she recalled. “But I’ve always believed everything happens for a reason. That mantra helped me find the brighter light in such a difficult time.” She also had to watch her teammates, in a season filled with injuries, finish outside of the top two in the ACC for the first time since 2011. The disappointment would only serve as fuel for the following season. “I just hate losing. I know every athlete says that, but even after our losses last year, and I wasn’t even on the field, I had tears in my eyes,” she said. “Even though I wasn’t on the field, I still felt for my teammates and the pain they were experiencing during that season.” Getting to personally experience her own mantra of everything happening for a reason, Humphrey’s redshirt season meant that she would get to spend the 2025 campaign in Chapel Hill with both of her older sisters — Ashley, who transferred to Carolina after a standout career at Stanford, and Nicole, whose own injury, coupled with the transfer portal, allowed her to finish her collegiate career as a Tar Heel. “It was our parents’ literal dream,” the youngest Humphrey said with a laugh. “All the stars aligned, and it was a once-in-a-life opportunity. It’s just incredible to see how much all three of us have achieved, not only individually, but together. It’s even more rewarding because we’ve seen each other work so hard — to see it all pay off the best ending to the story.”
DAY ONE DOMINANCE
On a mild Friday evening in early February, the Tar Heels made quick work of James Madison to kick off the 2025 season, defeating the 18th ranked team in the country by a final score of 14-2. It was then that Humphrey and her sisters knew that the upcoming season could be a special one. “We just looked at each other and said, ‘I don’t think that was a fluke’,” she recalled. “In the fall, we could tell how talented we were as a team, but people were still recovering from injuries. After [the JMU game] we felt like we had the potential to dominate the entire season.”
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BREAKTHROUGHS And dominate the Tar Heels did, rattling off another 21 straight wins — with only three of those games featuring a final margin of victory of fewer than five goals. Fifteen of the Tar Heels’ 22 wins came against ranked opponents. Humphrey scored at least two goals and carded at least three points (goals + assists) in all 22 games. Still, she didn’t realize her own breakthrough was brewing until a particular game stood out. “The Syracuse game,” she says. “I shot two for twelve. I wasn’t great, but we still dominated. That’s when I realized: I don’t always have to be the main producer. We’re so deep. I could just play my game and not feel like the whole thing rested on me.”
A CHAMPIONSHIP TO REMEMBER
In front of a record crowd at Gillette Stadium that included dozens of family and friends in the stands, Humphrey was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player following a four-goal, one-assist performance in the final against Northwestern. Call it bravado, or a simply a championship mindset, but Humphrey knew the Tar Heels were not leaving New England empty handed. “We knew going into that game, we were winning. We were not taking no for an answer,” she said. “Whether the scoreboard said it or not, we had the momentum the entire game. I remember the energy and the Carolina pride throughout the stadium, but I also remember constantly telling myself to stop and take mental images. Throughout the game, I was just kind of pausing and taking each moment in, just so I would never forget a moment like that.” Following the title, Humphrey received collegiate lacrosse’s highest individual honor, the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the top male and female student in the sport. In the 25-year history of the award, Humphrey was the first freshman, male or female, to receive this prestigious honor. In reality, it wasn’t even on her radar. “I came to UNC to win. The Tewaaraton wasn’t at the top of my priorities,” she said. “I told Coach Levy that I was here to win and that I’d do whatever it takes to win. To then be given an individual honor like the Tewaaraton while I was so focused on the team and winning a national championship, I hear those words and I’m still speechless.”
AN EYE ON THE NEXT SEASON
After a summer that included a gold medal at the Pan-Am Games, a trip to the ESPYs, and a surge in opportunities that traditionally come with both individual and team success, you might wonder what’s next for Humphrey as she prepares for her sophomore campaign. “Right now, we’re in rest mode,” she laughed. “I’ve been playing so much, but my mom and my physical therapist are basically telling me, ‘Stop. You need to rest your body!’ But I’ve already got a list of things that I want to work on for next season.” As you might have already guessed, that list focuses more on a team mentality than individual success.
32 B O R N & B R E D
“We’ve had leadership meetings this summer with just a few people from each class. No one is satisfied with what we accomplished last year. It’s so motivating to see everyone around you just continue to be hungry no matter what. Even after the ACC championship, people were saying, ‘Okay, this is great, but you don’t come to Carolina to win ACC championships. You come to win the whole thing.” Humphrey does admit to having a few personal goals for herself next season, but they’re rooted in processes rather than statistics. “It might be crazy to say this, but there was so much that I think I could have done better this past season,” she said. “A lot of that comes with learning and having freshman moments and knowing they’re going to happen. “I want to work on the little things in my game — not so much on the stat sheet, but I’d love to improve those if I could. I set little goals on a game-by-game basis. I don’t really look at end-of-season goals, because that puts unnecessary pressure on myself when the main goal is winning another national championship.” “Players like Chloe are never going to be satisfied,” said Levy. “She always wants to find another way to improve upon her game, put more tools in her tool belt. But I think that for Chloe, team success is also paramount. She wants to share moments with her teammates of great success and is enabled to do that. I see that every day in practice.”
WHAT COMES NEXT?
With her name already in the record books, Humphrey is eager to begin to write the next chapter, and Levy is comfortable with the pen in the rising sophomore’s hand. “I know this summer; she went and played with the national team and really hit it out of the park. She did really well,” said Levy. “I think that’s a mark of a great player. Regardless of who you’re playing with and what arena you’re playing in, you can still be super effective.” The ultimate prize already realized, Humphrey is not content with leaving Chapel Hill in a few years with just one national championship. However, her focus remains on the year ahead, noting that she’s looking forward to seeing how her fellow nowsophomore class will grow in their second season. “We’ve got three more years. We want three more rings,” she said. “The sky is the limit, especially for all these freshmen that just played and got their first year under their belt like Eliza Osborne, Addison Patillo, Kate Levy, and even Charlotte Corkin. I’m just so excited to see these girls take off and see what their sophomore seasons are going to have in store. “Coming in as freshmen, everything was a new experience. You’ve never played for an ACC championship. You’ve never been in the Final Four. There are so many nerves that come with it. Now that everyone has a ‘been there, done that’ mentality, I just want to see how far this team can go.”
SO GOOD, SO YOUNG
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BREAKTHROUGHS
B E N G R I F F I N
BY LEE PACE // PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES
GETTING HIS
GAME BACK 34 B O R N & B R E D
GETTING HIS GAME BACK
Ben Griffin rediscovered his love of golf and has experienced a resurgent 2025
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t was sometime around 2008, when Philip Chauncey was a sophomore on the Carolina golf team and Ben Griffin was a 12-year-old range rat at Chapel Hill Country Club. The Tar Heels occasionally played intra-team qualifying matches at the club located across Highway 54 from their home at UNC Finley, and one afternoon Chauncey and two of his teammates arrived for their afternoon game. They weren’t surprised to see Griffin, who was a fixture throughout the summer and after school practicing and playing the game he loved and always looking for competition. Who can hit that range cart on the practice facility as it crisscrosses to pick up balls? Who can hit their driver over the concrete bridge crossing the creek on 18? Who can chip a ball off the wall around the practice putting green and ricochet it into the hole? Griffin sidled up to the college golfers and wondered if he might join them. Subtle eye rolls ensued. But okay, kid, as long as you play from the back tees and keep up. “I knew him from hanging around the club but didn’t really know his game,” Chauncey says. “So, it was like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ After a couple of holes, it was clear this was not a baby-sitting situation. He was extremely competitive, very engaged. There was a clear message that he thought he was going to beat all three of us.” And a very young Ben Griffin did in fact beat two of the varsity golfers, and Chauncey had to birdie 18 to clip Griffin by one shot. “He was supremely talented and didn’t lack for confidence,” Chauncey says. “He could hit it very solid, was athletic and could putt and chip the eyes out of it. And his competitive fire burned very, very hot.” Stories like those are making the rounds in profusion these days around Chapel Hill golf venues and the Tar Heel golf team as Griffin has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the PGA Tour and through late summer was in contention to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team at its biennial match set for September at Bethpage Black. In a white-hot two-month period from late April through late June, Griffin won one tournament (the Charles Schwab Challenge at venerable Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth), teamed with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, had two
top 10s and three top 20s. Through mid-July he had registered a tidy little $8.7 million in 2025 earnings, with three-quarters of that coming in that twomonth rampage. That’s an amazing story for someone who inhaled the game of golf until their mid-20s, chucked the dream for a year to enter private business and a year later came back with a new set of priorities and refreshed game and mindset. “It’s been an incredible journey, but since I’ve come back to golf I’ve put my mind to being one of the top players in the game, getting into the majors, getting into contention and winning on the PGA Tour,” Griffin says. “I’ve checked a lot of those boxes now, but I have to continue to keep the pedal down.” Griffin has been a Tar Heel from the day he was born in May 1996, his parents both being Carolina grads (Cowan Griffin ’88, Erika Huth Griffin ’89). Cowan got into golf because his father, Douglas, loved the game, and he outfitted young Ben with a set of clubs as soon as Ben could walk. He was smitten from the beginning. “We called him ‘Little Ben’ around the club,” says Rick Brannon, the Chapel Hill Country Club head golf pro from 1983 to 2017. “I can remember him on the range at five years old. He had a set of hand-me-down irons that were an inch longer than standard. The golf club was bigger than Ben almost. He had a motorcycle grip early on because that was the only way he could hit those long clubs.” “All I’ve ever done is play golf,” Griffin says. “My finance asked me, ‘Who was your high school girlfriend?’ I told her I never had one. Golf was my girlfriend.” The talent he wielded at twelve vs. college golfers evolved and blossomed over the next half dozen years. Competing for East Chapel Hill High, Griffin won two state 4-A titles. He won his age division in the in the U.S. Kids Teen World Championships in Pinehurst. And he shot 61 in Dogwood Amateur at Druid Hills in Atlanta. Griffin spent his early junior years at Chapel Hill Country Club, which sits in the middle of a residential neighborhood, is somewhat land-locked and like many urban clubs has had little room to expand its practice facilities. So Griffin went on the golf course and invented all manner of crazy shots—hitting pitch shots from the woods, hitting lob wedges off tight lies over bunkers,
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BREAKTHROUGHS slashing from the edges of the water hazards dotting the course. The global financial crisis of 2007-09 affected the real estate and mortgage careers of Ben’s parents and the family had to tighten its collective belt, with Ben practicing more through his high school years at Finley Golf Club and hitting thousands of chip shots so that he could retrieve the balls and keep his bucket of balls going longer. “You take a short-game lesson, and you’re taught, here’s a standard 15-yard pitch shot,” Griffin says. “But you don’t get ‘standard shots’ on the golf course. As a kid, I practiced as many crazy and tough shots as I could dream up. The harder the shot, the better I liked it. Looking back on it, that’s what I have to do on the PGA Tour every week.” Andrew DiBitetto moved to Chapel Hill in 2011 as an assistant coach for the men’s golf team before being elevated to the head job in 2017. He heard stories about this young phenom with a Tar Heel pedigree and then noticed the youngster himself always with a bucket of balls around the practice range. “When I first got to know Ben, I was impressed by his creativity, his very high golf IQ and his short game,” DiBitetto says. “With Ben, it was short game, short game, short game.” There was never any question about where Griffin would play collegiately, and he was in the Tar Heels’ starting lineup all four spring seasons from 2015-18. He won the 2017 Tar Heel Intercollegiate with a record 19-under-par total and finished his career with a 72.02 career stroke average—at the time the second lowest in school history. Twice he was named honorable mention All-America. After leaving Carolina, Griffin bumped around the various “minor league” tours, traveling to Canada, Latin America and across the U.S. on the Korn Ferry Tour. Then Covid-19 hit in the spring of 2020 and the golf season on the PGA Tour and all the satellite circuits were cancelled. Griffin was in debt to his sponsors and had nowhere to play. “I wasn’t making any money,” Griffin says. “I wasn’t able to pay my own rent without help from parents, and health insurance, whatever it might be. I was 24, 25 at the time and I was like, it’s a point in my life
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where I don’t want to have to rely on my parents for anything. “It wasn’t necessarily like I disliked golf or anything. I still loved it. I was actually getting better. I felt like I was doing some really good stuff with my coach. But financially, I was in such a big hole. I didn’t see myself digging a way out of that hole if I was to continue to play golf, at least for the foreseeable future.” That’s when Griffin decided he was done with professional golf. He landed a job in early 2021 as a residential mortgage loan officer with Corporate Investors Mortgage Group in Chapel Hill and began working each day at the company’s headquarters at East 54, just a couple hundred yards from the sixteenth hole at Finley. “When I stepped away from golf, I was completely done,” he says, adding he envisioned golf as being a weekend distraction and a way to help his professional career with client golf. As the summer of 2021 wore on, he started having second thoughts. His grandfather died on July 15, and the obituary included a reference to his love of golf. Doug Griffin’s motto was “hit them long and straight.” Soon after, Griffin was driving to work one morning and absentmindedly turned onto Finley Golf Course Road instead of into the East 54 complex. “I wasn’t thinking that much about golf at all, but these little signs kept popping up,” Griffin says. “Reading my granddad’s quote made me realize my dreams are on the golf course. I’d lie awake in bed and say, ‘Do I need to chase this dream one more time?’” Griffin decided that he did. He has never looked back. Lord Abbett CEO Doug Sieg organized an investor group to underwrite Griffin’s return to traveling the tour, and that November, he shot 71-7464-71 and tied for 29th at Korn Ferry Tour Q-School. That locked up Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2022 (no more Monday qualifying), where he finished eighth in points to get a PGA Tour card for 2023. “It’s easy to get caught as a mini-tour golfer, stuck like, man, this is so hard, my back is against the wall,” Griffin says. “So instead of that mindset, I had a more forward-thinking mindset of I’m already one of
GETTING HIS GAME BACK the best players in the world. I just have to go out there and prove it.” Nate Parry is two years younger than Griffin and the duo played a lot of junior and high school golf together and became good friends. Parry is now on the instruction staff at Finley Golf Club and in a recent meeting with junior golfers spent half an hour citing Griffin’s story as a model of resilience. “The call was about the mental game, and I stressed that if you want to become more mentally resilient, you have to practice it, it’s as if it’s a muscle and you have to train your mind just as would your body,” Parry says. “Ben’s a perfect example. There was a young Ben who could pull off any shot in the world. Then there was a mature Ben who was playing golf and thinking how much money he needs to earn that week. “He lost his confidence. I talked with the juniors about a couple of strategies to use to go from the lows Ben was at four years ago to where he is now. One is having what we call a cookie jar of things that made him who he is. When things get tough, and they always do, have a list of accomplishments, other problems you’ve gotten through, pieces of advice you’ve learned from great players. Remember your purpose for playing the game.” DiBitetto has remained in touch with Griffin through texts, phone calls and the occasional foray onto the PGA Tour. “There’s been a new perspective to him,” he says. “Ben kind of sees life and definitely golf in a little bit of a different lens than he used to. There’s this aura about him of, no matter what happens, especially out on the golf course, he’s very comfortable with who he is as a human. And he knows that everything is going to be okay. There’s no longer like living and dying with every golf shot. He is no longer defining himself as a human based on the number that he shoots that day.” Griffin has a tight circle that includes swing coach James Oh, trainer
Derek Smidt, caddie Alex Ritthamel, agent Jeremy Elliott (also a Chapel Hill Country Club and Tar Heel golf alum), his parents and his finance Dana Myeroff (wedding set for December). Smidt travels with Griffin full-time and oversees a physical regimen that includes stretching and/ or lifting seven days a week. With a new driver in 2025 and riding the results of a stringent lifting regimen, Griffin has gone from a ball speed in 2024 of 173 mph to over 180 this year. His driving distance has jumped 10 yards in a year. As he won at Colonial in May, TV commentators wondered if he was taking too aggressive a line off the tee of the par-four 12th hole, but he cleared a bunker down the left side with room to spare. “He hammered it over the left bunker,” DiBitetto says. “And when the ball landed, Dottie Pepper and Trevor Immelmann were like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ And then they showed the overlay. And he was the longest tee shot in that hole and had like a little flip wedge in.” Griffin admits that he wasn’t a workout wonk during his college career and one major goal in ramping up his fitness was to build up leg strength to alleviate tendinitis in his left quadricep muscle. He liked the results and kept on building. “It’s been paying off immensely,” he says. “It’s not the only thing that’s driven my success, but it’s certainly contributed to a lot. I’m having shorter irons into par-4s, other guys are having mid-irons. When you’re playing against the best golfers in the world, you’ve got to think of little ways to be better than them. You’ve got to be so efficient at what you do. This distance thing has certainly helped me.” And so the Ben Griffin story is just getting started. The ebbs and flows of his career harken to the popular line about love lost: If you love something, set it free. If it returns, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it wasn’t yours to begin with.
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“READING MY GRANDDAD’S QUOTE MADE ME REALIZE MY DREAMS ARE ON THE GOLF COURSE. I’D LIE AWAKE IN BED AND SAY, ‘DO I NEED TO CHASE THIS DREAM ONE MORE TIME?’”
PHOTOS BY THE GRIFFIN FAMILY, JEFFREY CAMARATI & GETTY IMAGES
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FIRST PERSON
Strategic Focus
C
Carolina is one of the nation’s premier collegiate athletics programs. It’s a distinction that brings as much pride as being the nation’s first public university. Just as we have adjusted to meet the changing landscape of higher education over the decades, we are also reacting to the most profound shift in college athletics anyone has ever seen. We strive to be the No.1 public university in the country, on and off the field. To answer that call, we are doing what Tar Heels do: responding aggressively, preparing strategically, and looking to the future through an innovative lens. Legendary men’s basketball head coach Dean Smith referred to UNC athletics as the “front porch” of the university — where we metaphorically greet the world and invite them into everything the University has to offer. For many, Carolina Athletics is the first impression they have of our remarkable institution. The historic House vs. NCAA settlement creates a more professional model for intercollegiate athletics and a significant evolution in our financial model. Coupled with the evolution of rules around payments for “Name, Image and Likeness” (NIL), the decision also provides greater opportunities for our student-athletes. With that in mind, we are approaching this pivotal moment with the same high standards of creativity, research, preparation and collaboration that drive our academic success. Aggressive hires As this new landscape started to take shape, we began to evaluate whether we had the right organizational structure to achieve success. Borrowing from professional models, we created general manager roles in football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball, and hired professionals with extensive experience building rosters and cultivating winning cultures. We hired one of the most successful coaches of all time in Bill Belichick to help us compete at a higher level in football. Rick Barakat’s experience with IMG and Learfield made him the right choice as deputy athletic director and chief revenue officer to manage and pursue new revenue drivers. Steve Newmark, a respected sports industry leader in marketing, sponsorships and contract negotiations, joins Carolina as executive associate athletic director and eventual successor to Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham. Strategic Collaboration As athletic director, Cunningham has guided Carolina through
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more than a decade of success and transformation. In close collaboration with him, we’ve developed a clear, thoughtful succession plan to guide our athletics program for years to come. Newmark will learn from and lead with Cunningham, even after stepping in as athletic director in 2026. Cunningham will transition to senior advisor to the chancellor and athletic director, a new position that will allow Cunningham to leverage his vast expertise to help position the University and Carolina Athletics for a bright future. Revenue growth through innovation Under Barakat’s leadership, we’re exploring revenue generation opportunities, from naming rights and field sponsorships to fan engagement, like our expanded Bell Tower Block Party. We are already seeing benefits, including an entire sellout for the upcoming football season by the end of July, the earliest in our program history. Everything is designed to build a stronger Tar Heel community, increase our outreach, improve attendance and maintain a pinnacle position in college athletics. These changes aren’t just about keeping pace but setting the pace. Carolina is committed to leading through this era of college sports to ensure our 28 teams can thrive. We are grateful for the partnership and support with The Rams Club as we navigate this new era. Carolina will continue to stand for excellence, and the best days of Tar Heel Athletics are yet to come. Go Heels!
LEE ROBERTS Chancellor
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