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Vic Koenning, Illinois Defensive Coordinator, Expected To Join North Carolina Staff

Illinois defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, who recently turned down an offer to stay on staff with new head coach Tim Beckman staff but will still serves as as interim coach for Illinois in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against UCLA on Dec. 31, is expected to join Larry Fedora's staff at the University of North Carolina as defensive coordinator after the season. 

Here is what SB Nation's University of North Carolina athletics blog, Carolina March, has to say about the potential move:

Carolina fans may be familiar with Koenning from his tenure as Clemson's DC from 2005 to 2008. His defenses were typically strong and his first three finished in the top 25 in scoring, rushing, total, and pass efficiency defense each season. After leaving when Terry Tommy Bowden was fired, he spent one year at his alma mater Kansas State before moving to Champaign. His Illini defense was ranked seventh overall and fourth against the pass., this year, although those numbers may be inflated by a tragic offense often not leaving them in the best of field position...

...Koenning would appear to be a good hire for UNC. Now we just wait to see if it actually happens.   

New Illini head coach Tim Beckman had hoped to retain Koenning, but Koenning rejected the offer and Beckman moved on to make sure Illinois defensive line coach Keith Gilmore will be retained for 2012.    

For more, keep tabs on SB Nation Chicago and SB Nation's NCAA football page. For more on the Fighting Illini, check out Hail to the Orange, SB Nation's Illinois Fighting Illini blog. For more on UCLA, head over to Bruins Nation.