choosing his words carefully during a
lengthy interview in January. “The freshmen, for instance, were all very successful
before they came here. Many were very
highly recruited. But they never had struggles. That’s why it can be so jarring when
they all of a sudden are struggling for the
first time in a sport in which things had
come too easily. Add to that the adjustment
of being at college, and doing the class
work, and it can be a pretty tough time.”
Fox said of his time in the basketball
program, “Probably the biggest impact it
had on me was getting me thinking about
coaching. I had the opportunity to watch
the varsity basketball practices. Being on
the inside, I saw how Coach Smith and
Coach Fogler and the other coaches
stressed organization, commitment, focus. It
was pretty cool stuff.
DAN SEARS ’ 74
“I think I understood for the first time
how success was achieved — through effort,
consistency, diving for loose balls and that
kind of thing. I realized that this was how
you win, how you become a champion.”
Or how to become a System Guy. Of
the ongoing multimillion-dollar refurbish-ment of Boshamer Stadium, which promises to be one of the finest on-campus
playing facilities of any college in America,
Fox said, “It’s exciting, sure, to see this
come to fruition. But —” and then he is
off with another disclaimer about not getting carried away with success.
And does he think that the Tar Heels’
back-to-back appearances in the CWS
finals constitute a validation of what he
teaches? Fox shook his head and alluded to
one of the more memorable Carolina
sports moments in recent history, now-sen-ior Chad Flack’s walk-off homer against
Alabama that put UNC in the 2006 College World Series.
“Sure, as a coach, you want some kind
of validation of your philosophy. But you
can forget things. Like in 2006, the ball
went over the fence by two inches against
Alabama. If it hadn’t gone over, does that
mean we’re not doing things right?”
— Tim Warren
and dived at the ball as the guy was dribbling in for a layup. “I was able to knock
the ball away,” he said, “and I think that was
probably the reason they kept me.”
Eddie Fogler ’ 70, then the JV coach,
doesn’t recall that play, but he has fond
memories of coaching Fox.
“He was a hard-nosed, tough guy, in
good shape, and a real competitor,” Fogler
said. “He had all the things that coaches
want. He was a great listener, and he was
smart, plus he hated to lose. You take those
attributes, and you have a darn good basketball or baseball coach.”
Fox may appear the stereotype of a
holler-guy baseball coach, but a thoughtful
side shows frequently, not surprising since
he’s got a master’s degree in teaching. When
he talks about mental toughness, for instance,
it’s more nuanced than mere chest-beating.
“You fail a lot in baseball,” he said,
