Tar Heels overcome mid-season injury run and stout Louisville defense for win No. 5.
John Shoop enters his fifth season as North Carolina's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Shoop is in his 21st season as a coach, and has served as a coordinator on both the professional and college level.
Carolina players have flourished in Shoop's pro-style offense, which has proven beneficial to athletes moving on to the next level. Quarterback T.J. Yates, an unknown commodity prior to the start of the 2007 season, established more than 40 school records in his four-year career with Shoop, and was picked in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks posted a 1,000-yard receiving season and was a first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2009.
Last season, tailback Johnny White blossomed into one of the ACC's top tailbacks before an injury cut short his season. Despite the injury, pro scouts liked what they saw and he was picked in the fifth round by the Buffalo Bills. Tight ends Ryan Taylor, a seventh round pick by Green Bay, and Zack Pianalto set single-season and career marks, respectively, for receptions in 2010. And finally, wide receiver Dwight Jones had a team-high 62 receptions, the fifth-highest single-season total in UNC history. Regardless of position, Shoop has always found ways to get the ball to the team's top playmakers.
A member of the original staff Butch Davis put together in 2007, Shoop came to Chapel Hill after serving two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He was Oakland's quarterbacks coach in 2005, the tight ends coach in 2006 and was elevated to offensive coordinator for the final five games of the 2006 season.
Shoop spent the 2004 season as quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under head coach Jon Gruden. He worked five seasons (1999-2003) for the Chicago Bears under head coach Dick Jauron, including three as the offensive coordinator (2001-03). Shoop was promoted to Chicago's offensive coordinator position after spending the 1999-2000 seasons as the Bears' quarterbacks coach. At the time, he was one of the youngest coordinators in NFL history.
In his first season as the coordinator in Chicago, Shoop revitalized the Chicago offense and helped lead the Bears to the NFC Central Division title with a 13-3 record. That season, tailback Anthony Thomas earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after setting a Bears' rookie rushing record with 1,183 yards, and quarterback Jim Miller had his most productive season as a pro.
Under Shoop's direction in 2002, the Bears offense produced Pro Bowl wide receiver Marty Booker, who became the first Chicago receiver to earn all-star game honors since 1971.
Prior to joining the Bears, Shoop spent four seasons with the Carolina Panthers, where he began his NFL coaching career at the age of 25. Shoop was an offensive quality control assistant for the Panthers in 1995-96 where he was a member of a staff that led the team to the NFC Championship Game in 1996. He was then promoted to quarterbacks coach, serving in that capacity for Carolina from 1997-98.
Shoop began his coaching career as a volunteer quarterbacks coach at Dartmouth in 1991, then served as a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt from 1992-94, where he also earned a master's degree in education.
A native of Oakmont, Pa., Shoop graduated from the University of the South in 1991, where he played quarterback for four seasons.
Shoop and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Marcia Mount Shoop, have a son, Sidney, a daughter, Mary Elizabeth and a godson, Chris Dixon. Shoop's brother, Bob, is the defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt.
The Shoop File Date and Place of Birth: Born August 1, 1969 Family: Wife, Marcia; son, Sidney, daughter, Mary Elizabeth Education: University of the South, bachelor's degree, 1991; Vanderbilt, master's degree in education, 1994 Playing Experience: 1988-91, University of the South, quarterback Coaching Experience: 1991, Dartmouth (volunteer quarterbacks coach) 1992-94, Vanderbilt (graduate assistant coach) 1995-96, Carolina Panthers (offensive quality control coach) 1997-98, Carolina Panthers (assistant coach/quarterbacks) 1999-2000, Chicago Bears (assistant coach/quarterbacks) 2001-03, Chicago Bears (assistant coach/offensive coordinator) 2004, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (assistant coach/quarterbacks) 2005, Oakland Raiders (assistant coach/quarterbacks) 2006, Oakland Raiders (assistant coach/offensive coordinator/tight ends) 2007-present, North Carolina (assistant coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
