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On Monday, it was announced that former North Carolina Tar Heel George Lynch will take over as the head coach at Division II school, Clark Atlanta University. Lynch, who played for the Heels from 1989 to 1993, will be in uncharted territory as this is his first ever head coaching gig.
Lynch was a three-year starter at UNC and played an integral role on the 1993 team that won the national championship. During that season, he averaged 14.7 points and 9.6 rebounds on his way to earning East Regional MVP honors. Lynch is second in all-time steals (241) at UNC, right behind his former teammate Derrick Phelps (247).
After being selected 12th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1993 draft, Lynch went on to have a steady career in the NBA. In addition to the Lakers, he played for the Vancouver Grizzlies, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. Lynch retired in 2005, finishing with career averages of 6.6 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Since his playing career, Lynch has worked several different positions at SMU and UC Irvine. After joining Matt Doherty’s staff at SMU as a graduate assistant in 2006, he left to become the strength and conditioning coach at UC Irvine. He then returned to SMU in 2012 for the same position. Most recently, Lynch served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons’ G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.
Lynch will step into this position at Clark Atlanta with some big shoes to fill. He’ll be taking over from another former NBA player, Darrell Walker, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Arkansas Little-Rock. In two seasons at Clark Atlanta, Walker posted a 45-18 record.
Lynch joins a long list of former Tar Heels who are now head coaches at the collegiate level. With the possibility that Roy Williams retires in the next few years, many of these coaches have been receiving buzz to potentially return to Chapel Hill. Lynch is likely not a serious candidate to replace Williams, but for now, he is worth keeping an eye on.