William Laird Cowher is an American sports analyst, former professional football player and coach. Following a six-year playing career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), he served as a head coach in the NFL for 15 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He began his coaching career as an assistant under Marty Schottenheimer for the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs, serving as the latter's defensive coordinator from 1989 to 1991. In 1992, Cowher was named head coach of the Steelers, whom he led until his retirement following the 2006 season. After retiring, he joined The NFL Today as a studio analyst.
Frank Michael Reich is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played 14 seasons as a quarterback in the NFL. He became a coach afterwards, including head coaching stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers.
Natrone Jermaine Means is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers from 1993 to 2000.
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel Jr. was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, twice earning first-team All-American honors. Gabriel was the second overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft and played for the Los Angeles Rams for 11 seasons then five years for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was notable for being the first NFL quarterback of Filipino-American descent, as well as winning the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1969.
Peter Henry Metzelaars is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions. He played college football for the Wabash Little Giants and was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 1982 NFL draft.
In American football, a nickel defense is any defensive alignment that uses five defensive backs, of whom the fifth is known as a nickelback. The original and most common form of the nickel defense features four down linemen and two linebackers. Because the traditional 4–2 form preserves the defense's ability to stop an opponent's running game, it has remained more popular than its variants, to the extent that even when another formation technically falls within the "nickel" definition, coaches and analysts will refer to it by a more specific designation that conveys more information with equal or greater conciseness.
Athletes and sports teams from North Carolina compete across an array of professional and amateur levels of competition, along with athletes who compete at the World and Olympic levels in their respective sport. Major league professional teams based in North Carolina include teams that compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The state is also home to NASCAR Cup Series races. At the collegiate and university level, there are several North Carolina schools in various conferences across an array of divisions. North Carolina also has many minor league baseball teams. There are also a number of indoor football, indoor soccer, minor league basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams based throughout the state.
Mario Manuel Cristobal is the American head football coach of the Miami Hurricanes football team at the University of Miami. Cristobal previously was the head football coach at Florida International University (FIU) from 2007 to 2012 and the University of Oregon from 2017 to 2021. He was an all-conference offensive tackle on the Miami Hurricanes football team that won national championships in 1989 and 1991.
Brad Seely is a former American football coach.
Steve Logan is an American football coach who was recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). Logan was also the head football coach at East Carolina University from 1992 to 2002, compiling a record of 69–58.
Dameyune Vashon Craig is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the wide receivers coach at Georgia State University. He was most recently the wide receivers coach at Texas A&M University. Craig played professionally as quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
Andre Tierre Royal is a former professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL) who played linebacker for five seasons for the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. Royal had 140 career tackles, 6 solo sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. Royal was traded to the Indianapolis Colts following several off-the-field incidents prior to the start of the season with the New Orleans Saints.
Alan Glenn Haller is an American college athletic administrator and former football player. He is the athletic director at Michigan State University, a position he has held since September 2021. Haller's 2022 salary was $800,000. Haller played professionally as a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL draft by the Steelers. He played his first three games in the NFL with the Steelers before he was released and signed with the Cleveland Browns, where he played another three games. He returned to the Steelers in 1993 and joined the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 before retiring after the 1995 season. In his professional career, Haller played only 12 games in three seasons, earning no starts and no statistics. Though he was a defensive back, Haller played mostly as a special teams player.
Paul T. Boudreau is an American football coach who last served as offensive line coach for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the offensive line coach for eight different NFL teams, one Canadian Football League (CFL) team, and four college teams. No offensive line coach in the NFL has more experience as an assistant at the professional level than Boudreau, who entered his 29th season in 2015. Boudreau's offensive lines over the years have blocked for five running backs who crossed the 10,000-yard career rushing mark, including Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, Thurman Thomas, Fred Taylor and Steven Jackson.
The 2013 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by second-year head coach Larry Fedora and played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels finished the season 7–6 overall and 4–4 in ACC play to place fifth in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the Belk Bowl, where they defeated Cincinnati.
Harold Theo Hunter Jr. was an American college and professional football coach. He participated in football, wrestling and track at Canonsburg High School in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He played college football at Pittsburgh, where he was a three-year letterman at offensive guard and linebacker. Hunter earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honors for his senior season in 1955. He was also a three-year letterman in wrestling at Pittsburgh. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1956. Hunter was a football coach at various high schools and colleges from 1956 to 1976, mainly serving as his team's offensive line coach. He was then the head coach at California State College from 1977 to 1980, accumulating a record of . He began his professional coaching career as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' offensive coordinator in 1981. Hunter later served as an assistant coach for several National Football League (NFL) teams from 1982 to 1992, including a one-game stint as the interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 1984.
Jennifer King is an American football coach who is an offensive assistant for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). She is best known for being the first black woman to be a full-time NFL coach upon being named assistant running backs coach for the Washington Commanders in 2021. A former two-sport athlete at Guilford College, King has also coached women's college basketball and for the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
Joseph J. Gilbert is an American football coach who is the offensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL).
Randall Parks Frazier II is an American football coach who is an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL).
