FootballScoop.com is reporting Mike Ekeler (above) will join the UNC staff.

Accordingly to a report by FootballScoop.com, Mike Ekeler is expected to join the UNC defensive coaching staff. Ekeler was previously the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at North Texas.

North Carolina does not officially have an opening on the defensive side of the ball, but the Ekeler hire would support the notion that current UNC defensive coordinator Gene Chizik will not be back for the 2017 season.

This has been rumored for many weeks now.

Chizik coached at Carolina for two seasons.

Before North Texas, Ekeler spent two seasons as inside linebackers coach at Georgia and has been at USC, Indiana, Nebraska, LSU and Oklahoma.

Ekeler coaches at Nebraska with current linebackers coach John Papuchis.

As Nebraska's linebackers coach, he was involved with some of the nation's most successful defenses. In 2010, Nebraska was third nationally in pass efficiency defense, fifth in pass defense, ninth in scoring defense and 11th in total defense. In 2009, the Cornhuskers led the country in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense, and were seventh in total defense and ninth in rushing defense.

UNC now has three new defensive coaches on the staff for the 2017 season.

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