Tar Heels coach defends Beckman hire

Larry Fedora was surrounded by reporters after North Carolina’s practice Wednesday.

The hot topic: a volunteer assistant.

Former Illinois head coach Tim Beckman has been with the Tar Heels since the start of training camp.

“I’m happy to get the chance to give him an opportunity to learn how we do things here, what our culture is,” Fedora said. “And I’ve known Tim for a long time; he’s a good football coach.”

On Sept. 10, the Tar Heels travel to Champaign for a game against Beckman’s old school. Beckman went 12-25 in three years at Illinois. He was fired a week before the start of the 2015 season. An investigation into Beckman’s program determined he mistreated players, encouraging them to avoid…