Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora has a long history with the Bears

When No. 17 Baylor and No. 10 North Carolina face off in the Russell Athletic Bowl, it will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Yet, for Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora, it will be a reunion of sorts.

Fedora was born in College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M, won a national championship playing wide receiver at NAIA school Austin College in North Texas and started his coaching career at a Garland, Texas, high school, located just east of Dallas.

From there, Fedora jumped into the college game in 1991 as the tight ends, wide receivers and running backs coach at -- you guessed it -- Baylor.

“Baylor is where I cut my teeth in college football and two of my children were born there, so it’s kind of special,” Fedora told reporters upon learning North Carolina's bowl game and opponent. “We get to play a great football team in Baylor and it’s an Art Briles-coached team. I think our guys will be extremely excited about this opportunity.”

Fedora started as a graduate assistant under legendary Baylor coach Grant Teaff and was retained by Chuck Reedy. Fedora coached at Baylor for seven years through the 1996 season. It remains his longest tenure at any one school.

"I just learned about it (playing Baylor), hadn't really put a lot of thought into it, but I think it is pretty cool," Fedora said. "It was my first college job."

Fedora went on to become an assistant at Air Force, Middle Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma State before taking on his first head coaching job at Southern Miss. Now he is elevating North Carolina, finishing 11-2 this season after narrowly falling to No. 1 Clemson in the ACC championship game.