Tar Heels hire former UNC LB Thigpen as assistant coach

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina has hired former Tar Heels linebacker Tommy Thigpen as an assistant coach.

The school announced the move on Tuesday. Thigpen had previously served as a linebackers coach for four seasons under former UNC coaches John Bunting and Butch Davis. He also had been at Auburn for four seasons coaching safeties and linebackers, and then spent five seasons at Tennessee coaching linebackers and serving as defensive run game coordinator starting in 2016.

Thigpen was also named national recruiter of the year in 2013 by Rivals.com.

Thigpen was a co-captain of UNC's nine-win team under Mack Brown in 1992 that won the Peach Bowl, the first of seven straight bowl games for the program.

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