CARY, N.C. (WNCN) – The 18th Annual Bill Dooley Pigskin preview was held Friday, after not having an event last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Five of North Carolina’s top coaches — Mack Brown, Dave Doeren, David Cutcliffe, Mike Houston and Trei Oliver — were on hand for the event.
“You know we have a great time behind the scenes. These guys are crazy. We had a great time and it’s for a great cause,” said N.C. Central head coach Trei Oliver.
“We all respect each other, obviously, we’re competitors and want to beat each other in every way possible on the field and in recruiting but when it comes to helping our state there’s no animosity between us, we all want what’s best for the state of North Carolina,” said North Carolina State head coach Dave Doeren.
There was an auction for helmets for all five schools to raise money for scholarships. Afterward, the moderator asked the coaches questions ranging from football, to what is a funny insult they say about the competition to their own fans.
The responses from the coaches had the fans in attendance laughing.
“So, I get a new car and it’s voice-activated and I say, ‘turn left, and turn right,’ and it’s amazing and all the sudden, my brand new car, this guy pulls out in front of me and I say, ‘you stupid son of a gun,’ and the Mack Brown radio show turns on,” joked Duke head coach David Cutcliffe.
Brown laughed, gave Cutcliffe a fist pound and said, “Duke stinks.”
The crowd went wild over the exchange.
“To have a little fun with the coaches in the area, why not. We need to remember we’re in it for the right reasons and for the same reasons,” Cutcliffe said.
East Carolina University’s Mike Houston agreed.
“I’m honored to be a part of that group. Just a great group of men, great men of character leading our universities and it was great to share some time with them,” he said.
The North Carolina football fraternity is clearly alive and well and the friendly rivalries remain intact.
