Everett Withers Everett Withers ( born June 15 , 1963 ) is an American football coach . He is currently the co - defensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes . Early years . Withers was born in Charlotte , North Carolina on June 15 , 1963 . He attended West Charlotte High School and later attended Appalachian State University for college , graduating in 1985 . He was a standout defensive back for the Mountaineers and a captain . Coaching career . Withers started his coaching career at Austin Peay State University as the defensive coordinator in 1988 . He then proceeded to coach wide receivers and special teams at Austin Peay before moving on to coach outside linebackers at Tulane University in 1991 . A year later he went to Southern Mississippi to coach defensive backs . Withers then moved onto the NFL , joining the New Orleans Saints as a defensive quality controller in 1994 . He then took the job of defensive coordinator at Louisville University from 1995 - 1997 . He then joined the University of Texas at Austin coaching staff as the defensive backs coach in 1998 . In 2001 he went back to the NFL to take the job of defensive backs coach of the Tennessee Titans . In 2007 , he took the job of defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota . He then took the defensive coordinator job at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008 . He was promoted to interim head coach from the defensive coordinator position after Butch Davis was fired on July 27 , 2011 . Coaching successes . Withers has made accomplishments at several of his coaching stops , both college and the NFL . While he was the defensive backs coach of the Titans , they achieved a top ten defensive ranking in 2002 , his first season with the Titans . From 2002 to 2004 , the Titans grabbed 57 interceptions , the best ever for a three year span for the franchise , fourth best in the AFC and eighth best in the NFL . The Titans tallied 21 picks in 2004 , with 16 coming from the Withers coached secondary . In his first year with the Tar Heels , his defense totaled 20 interceptions , one shy of the school record for interceptions in a year . 2009 was an elite year for Withers ' s defense as they ranked sixth in total defense in the nation . They ranked 10th against the run , 13th in scoring defense and 14th in pass defense . The UNC defense was the only defense in the nation that was ranked in the top 15 in total yards allowed , scoring defense , run defense , pass defense , pass - efficiency defense , third down defense and tackles for loss . The Carolina defense totaled 19 interceptions and set an ACC record with 508 interception return yards . In 2010 the Tar Heels matched their interception total of 2009 with 19 picks . The Heels also ranked fourth in the ACC and 30th nationally in defense , even with injuries that made Withers play a different lineup every game . During the three total years that Withers was defensive coordinator of the Tar Heels , they totaled 58 interceptions . Scandal at UNC . Withers was promoted to the head coaching position at UNC on July 28 , 2011 after it was announced that Butch Davis had been fired following a scandal that involved improper benefits to players from an agent , excessive parking tickets accumulated by players , overuse of a tutor , plagiarism , and other violations that could bring harsh punishment to the football program from the NCAA . These punishments would go along with the self - imposed sanctions that the University has already placed on their football program , including a two year probation a $ 50 , 000 fine , a reduction of scholarships and the vacation of 16 wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons . 2011 season . With Withers leading the Tar Heels as the new head coach the 2011 season got started with many distractions . The Tar Heels beat their first opponent , FCS school James Madison University 42 - 10 . Bryn Renner set the single game school record for completion percentage at 95 . 7 % . The Heels then beat Rutgers University 24 - 22 , holding the Scarlett Knights to one total yard rushing and 244 yards overall . The week after the South ' s Oldest Rivalry was resumed , as Carolina beat The University of Virginia 28 - 17 . UNC rushed for 222 total yards for an average of 5 . 4 yards per carry . The Heels then traveled to Atlanta to play the # 25 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets , dropping this one 35 - 28 . Georgia Tech had 312 yards rushing and 496 yards total on the day . Next the Heels played East Carolina University beating them 35 - 20 . The Heels then proceeded to beat Louisville University 14 - 7 . Giovanni Bernard became the first Tar Heel rusher in 27 years to rush for over 100 yards in four straight games . Bernard extended his streak of 100 yard rushing games to five in UNC ' s 30 - 24 loss to Miami University . The Heels recovered an onside kick with under a minute to go , but time ran out before they could score . The Heels then traveled to Clemson University to face the Tigers , losing 59 - 38 . It was the second most points given up by the Tar Heels in their 405 ACC games , trailing only the 63 given up in a game against Florida State University in 2000 . The next game was the Homecoming game for the Heels , and they beat Wake Forest University 49 - 24 . UNC racked up 506 total yards and caught four interceptions in the game . Next up for the Heels was the rivalry game with North Carolina State University in Raleigh , which the Heels lost 13 - 0 . It was the fifth straight loss to the Wolfpack , the first shutout in the series since 1960 . Giovanni Bernard did break the 1 , 000 yard rushing mark for the season , but as a team the Heels were held to three total yards rushing . On a Thursday night in Blacksburg , Virginia the Heels lost to Virginia Tech 24 - 21 . Dwight Jones passed the 1 , 000 yard receiving mark for the season , making the 2011 Tar Heels the first team to have a 1 , 000 yard receiver and rusher in the same season . UNC closed out the regular season with a home win over arch - rival Duke University , winning 37 - 21 . The Heels have won the last 20 of 21 games in the series and hold an all time advantage of 58 - 35 - 4 . Dwight Jones ' s 79 receptions and Bryn Renner ' s 23 TD passes set single season records for the Tar Heels .