CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina will turn to offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic to run the Tar Heels' high-scoring offense.
Head coach Larry Fedora said Wednesday that Kapilovic has been promoted to offensive coordinator, while quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf will serve as passing game coordinator. It's part of what Kapilovic described as a collaborative effort to run an offense that set a program record by averaging 40.7 points and 486.9 yards per game during an 11-win season in 2015.
Fedora's announcement came on national signing day, though he said didn't rush to name Littrell's replacement because the Tar Heels would continue to run the no-huddle spread attack he brought with him from Southern Mississippi after the 2011 season.
Kapilovic replaces Seth Littrell, who left to become head coach at North Texas.
The Tar Heels also recently hired alumnus Chad Scott to coach tight ends to complete the restructuring of the staff after Littrell's departure. Fedora -- who was an offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma State -- also said he'd likely be more involved with playcalling for his fifth season.
"There was not a single recruit out there that said, `What are you going to do with the offense?" Fedora said during his signing day news conference. "I think everybody knows this is what we do here at North Carolina, so that was never a problem."
Kapilovic has been a part of Fedora's staff for the past eight years dating to his time at Southern Miss. He had previously worked as offensive coordinator at Alabama State from 2003-05, coaching eventual NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.
"It all works hand in hand," Kapilovic said. "If we could throw the ball with success, it's a lot easier to run the ball and vice versa. I'm not one of those old-school line coaches that says, `Hey, I just want to hammer it in there.'
"I'm all about what we do: spreading it out, missing it up, throwing on first down and taking shots when we can. I'm all about that."
The Tar Heels (11-3) reached the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game last year and earned their first top-10 ranking since 1997 before finishing at No. 15 in the final Associated Press Top 25.
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This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Tarvaris Jackson's first name.