REST IN PEACE: Today is the burial day for the Tar Heels key player who died in an automobile accident….
A shockwave was sent through the UNC baseball program last week when legendary head coach Mike Fox suddenly announced his retirement after 22 years in charge of the Tar Heels.
After helping the Tar Heels to the College World Series in 1978 as a second baseman — earning a place on the All-Tournament Team in the process — Fox returned to his alma mater as the head coach in May of 1998.
This was after a wildly successful 16-year stint at the Division III level in charge of N.C. Wesleyan, where he led the Bulldogs to eight College World Series appearances and a national title in 1989.
He would ultimately find similar success in Chapel Hill, guiding the Tar Heels to seven College World Series appearances—including four in a row from 2006 to 2009. His 948 wins at UNC are also the most in program history.
With the program still performing at a high level, making its most recent trip to Omaha in 2018, retirement wasn’t something Fox thought about until the pandemic canceled the 2020 season. Over the next few months during what he called a practice retirement, Fox started thinking more and more about his family. He explained more at a press conference with UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham last Friday following his announcement.
“It is the right time for me,” Fox said. “My wife Cheryl and I, over the last five months, have been able to experience life at a little simpler and slower pace.
“We’ve enjoyed it,” he added. “We just had a new grand-baby in our life, and our children are close. I just think at this point in time in my life, I truly need to put family first.
Cunningham acknowledged Fox’s love for his family during the press conference before thanking him for all he’s done to turn the UNC baseball program into what it is today.
“What a phenomenal career professionally,” Cunningham said. “You did sacrifice an awful lot of time with your own family. But you’ve created an incredible baseball family. We talk about the Carolina family a lot, and what you’ve contributed to this university is spectacular.
Fox also expressed how grateful he is to have his longtime assistant and former player, Scott Forbes, taking over the head coaching job for the Tar Heels — saying that the decision has given him the biggest peace of mind.
Forbes has been involved with the program in just about every aspect over the last 20 years, serving as the pitching coach for a decade and then acting as the hitting coach and the recruiting coordinator over the last five seasons.
Fox credits Forbes as the main reason the Tar Heels have been able to recruit high-level talent in recent years, while also saying he’s known for years that he has what it takes to be a tremendous head coach.
The comfort he felt knowing the program was being left in good hands made Fox’s decision that much easier.
“I’ve known for quite some time,” Fox said, of Forbes’ ability to be a head coach. “He’s extremely personable. He makes that immediate connection with kids and with families. His passion. He has his priorities in the right order. He loves what he does. And he’s infectious. He’s one of the most positive people I’ve ever been around. “
