Hark The Pod

Hark The Pod is The Daily Tar Heel's weekly sports podcast. Hosted by Sports Editor Matthew Maynard with Assistant Sports Editors Brian D'Aguanno and Beckett Brantley, the show offers in-depth analysis and discussion of UNC sports. Join the excitement and get your dose of sports updates and banter every week.

Hubert Davis on the Hot Seat 01/20/2026

Hubert Davis on the Hot Seat In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Matthew Maynard and Assistant Sports Editor Brian D’Aguanno break down the latest in UNC athletics. The episode opens with a breakdown of UNC men's basketball's struggles on their West Coast road trip, with disappointing losses to Stanford and Cal. Defense remains an issue, and questions about whether coaching is to blame are popping up. They also discuss women's basketball’s comeback after winning against both Miami and Florida State. The episode wraps up with a look at North Carolina tennis' early-season success and Reese Brantmeier's continued dominance. Audio editing by Jordyn Balam. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/39805210

UNC Football Changes, Men’s Basketball’s Close Call and a Look Ahead 01/13/2026

UNC Football Changes, Men’s Basketball’s Close Call and a Look Ahead In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Matthew Maynard and Assistant Editors Beckett Brantley and Brian D’Aguanno return from winter break to break down the latest in UNC athletics. The crew opens with thoughts on the Bobby Petrino hire and a busy transfer portal period for Carolina football before turning to men’s basketball’s narrow win over Wake Forest and ongoing concerns about late-game execution and guard play. They also discuss women’s basketball’s struggles following a lopsided loss to Notre Dame and what lies ahead as conference play continues. The episode wraps up with a look ahead to UNC men’s basketball’s West Coast road trip against Stanford and Cal. Audio editing by Jordyn Balam. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/39718615

Football, Field Hockey and the Week’s Takeaways 11/25/2025

Football, Field Hockey and the Week’s Takeaways In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Matthew Maynard and Assistant Editors Brian D’Aguanno and Beckett Brantley talk through football’s loss to Duke, field hockey’s disappointing defeat in the Final Four, and men’s and women’s soccer’s tournament performance. They finish up, looking forward to UNC men’s basketball’s upcoming match against Michigan State. Audio editing by Andrew Sellers /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/39170220

UNC Men’s Basketball Secures Two Wins as Trimble Faces Injury Layoff 11/18/2025

UNC Men’s Basketball Secures Two Wins as Trimble Faces Injury Layoff In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Matthew Maynard and Assistant Editors Brian D'Aguanno and Beckett Brantley talk through men’s basketball’s wins over Radford and N.C. Central. Seth Trimble’s arm injury will have him off the court for a couple of weeks, so the editors discuss what his absence will mean for the rest of the team. They then recap what factors contributed to football’s 28-12 loss to Wake Forest and predict what will unfold in the team’s last two games against Duke and N.C. State. They finish with updates about field hockey, highlighting the team’s most recent win against Duke, allowing the team to advance to the NCAA semifinals. Audio editing by Jordyn Balam. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/39077380

Basketball Is Back — And So Is UNC 11/11/2025

Basketball Is Back — And So Is UNC In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Matthew Maynard and Assistant Editors Brian D’Aguanno and Beckett Brantley break down a statement win for UNC men’s basketball, reacting to the Tar Heels’ electric performance against Kansas. They discuss standout showings from Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Jarin Stevenson, what the rotation could look like come March and why this group might already be a top-five team with a national championship ceiling. The group also touches on UNC’s dominance beyond the hardwood: field hockey’s ninth straight ACC Championship, women’s basketball’s 2–0 start ahead of a top-10 test versus UCLA and a sluggish but meaningful football win over Stanford that keeps bowl hopes alive. They debate quarterback play, offensive struggles and what UNC must do to close out the season strong. Audio editing by Nikki Piedad. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38986415

UNC’s Power Four Breakthrough, ACC Thrills & Basketball Season Begins 11/04/2025

UNC’s Power Four Breakthrough, ACC Thrills & Basketball Season Begins In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Matthew Maynard and Assistant Editors Brian D'Aguanno and Beckett Brantley discuss football’s 27-10 win over Syracuse on Halloween, which was the team’s first Power Four win. They speculate about how the rest of the season will pan out. They recap women’s soccer missing the ACC tournament, as well as women’s field hockey winning the ACC regular season title after a 2-1 win against Duke. The editors finish out the episode with excitement over the start of basketball season, with the women’s team already beating N.C. Central 90-42. You can still pick up the Sports Desk’s basketball preview in The DTH’s Blue Boxes until this Wednesday. Audio editing by Jordyn Balam. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38901640

Football Fails and Soccer Successes 10/21/2025

Football Fails and Soccer Successes In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Matthew Maynard and assistant editors Brian D'Aguanno and Beckett Brantley break down what led to UNC football's 21-18 loss to Cal, and what's next for the team as the season continues. The team then recaps UNC field hockey's recent wins against Syracuse and Cornell, and UNC men's soccer's 3-0 win against Virginia Tech. Stay tuned for the DTH Sports desk's basketball preview that's hitting Blue Boxes near you next week. Audio editing by Andrew Sellers. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38719355

A Tiger Tragedy 10/20/2025

A Tiger Tragedy In this episode of Hark The Pod, sports editor Matthew Maynard and assistant editors Brian D'Aguanno and Beckett Brantley recap UNC football's loss to Clemson on Monday. Clemson opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown and scored 28 points in the first quarter. North Carolina’s defense allowed 488 total yards, including five passing touchdowns. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38489790

UNC Football Falls Again 09/23/2025

UNC Football Falls Again In this episode of Hark The Pod, assistant editors Brian D’Aguanno and Beckett Brantley are joined by senior writer Alexandra Jones to talk all things football, field hockey and soccer. The group recaps UNC football's 34-9 loss to UCF and the future of UNC football's quarterback position, shifting to then discuss UNC field hockey's 5-1 win against Cal. The team wraps up by discussing UNC women's and men's soccer season. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38327465

Shining Stars and Rocky Roads 09/17/2025

Shining Stars and Rocky Roads In this episode of Hark The Pod, sports editor Matthew Maynard and assistant editors Beckett Brantley and Brian D’Aguanno recap UNC football’s 41–6 win over Richmond. They highlight Demon June’s breakout performance, assess quarterback Gio Lopez’s early struggles and debate the team’s offensive identity heading into UCF and Clemson. The group also covers strong starts from field hockey, volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer, before closing with predictions for the Tar Heels’ road trip to UCF. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38246330

Rain, Rust and Richmond: UNC Football’s Week Two Recap 09/09/2025

Rain, Rust and Richmond: UNC Football’s Week Two Recap In this episode of Hark The Pod, sports editor Matthew Maynard and assistant editors Beckett Brantley and Brian D’Aguanno break down UNC football’s win over Charlotte. They share on-the-ground impressions from a rainy game day in Charlotte, evaluate Gio Lopez’s performance and the team’s offensive play-calling and discuss whether Carolina’s defense is prepared for tougher opponents. The group also talks women’s and men’s soccer highlights, recap Tar Heels making noise in the NFL and give predictions for UNC’s upcoming matchup against Richmond /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38136930

Belichick Beat Down 09/04/2025

Belichick Beat Down In this episode of Hark The Pod, sports editor Matthew Maynard and assistant editors Brian D'Aguanno and Beckett Brantley recap UNC football's devastating season opener loss to TCU on Monday. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/38079125

Football Preview 2025 08/26/2025

Football Preview 2025 Welcome back to a new season of Hark The Pod. In this episode, sports editor Matthew Maynard and assistant editors Brian D'Aguanno and Beckett Brantley preview UNC football's 2025 season. They predict the team's final season record, touch on the atmosphere of this year's Carolina football press conference and discuss what the football season may look like for UNC under the leadership of Bill Belichick. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/37951170

Spring Rings & Senior Swings: The Season Finale 04/29/2025

Spring Rings & Senior Swings: The Season Finale In the final episode of the school year, sports editor Caroline Wills and assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard reflect on their favorite UNC sports memories and say a bittersweet goodbye to another season of Hark The Pod. The trio kicks things off with breaking news: UNC football is headed to Dublin, Ireland, in 2026 for its first-ever international game. Then, it’s all about spring sports. Emma spotlights UNC women’s lacrosse’s ACC title win over Boston College, while Matthew breaks down the men’s lacrosse team’s share of the ACC regular season crown and its upcoming tournament matchup. Caroline rounds things out with a recap of UNC women’s tennis claiming back-to-back ACC championships. Thanks for listening to Hark the Pod this year. We’ll be back soon. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/36351960

Heated Rivalries and Hot Bats 04/15/2025

Heated Rivalries and Hot Bats In this episode of Hark The Pod, Assistant Editor Emma Moon is joined by fellow Assistant Editor Matthew Maynard and staff writer Brian D’Aguanno to break down UNC men’s lacrosse’s 8-7 win over Duke, the program’s first victory in Durham since 2016. The trio discusses what fueled the Tar Heels’ strong start in ACC play and what this win means for the rest of the season. Later, the crew shifts to UNC baseball. After struggling against Miami just two weeks ago, the Diamond Heels run-ruled Wake Forest twice in back-to-back games. Emma, Matthew and Brian analyze what sparked the turnaround and whether UNC’s offense has truly hit its stride. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/36117320

Tar Heels Fall, but the Future is Bright 04/01/2025

Tar Heels Fall, but the Future is Bright In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills returns to the studio to recap UNC women’s basketball’s season-ending loss to Duke in the Sweet 16. Assistant Editor Emma Moon and women’s basketball beat writers Megan Smith and Beckett Brantley join to break down the Tar Heels’ struggles in the matchup and reflect on the season as a whole. Later, staff writer Brian D’Aguanno and Megan discuss UNC women’s lacrosse’s dominant start to the season, including their recent win over Northwestern and their potential as national title contenders. To wrap things up, the crew debates which spring sport has the best shot at bringing home a championship. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/35926335

Season’s End: Recapping UNC Basketball’s Tournament Run 03/25/2025

Season’s End: Recapping UNC Basketball’s Tournament Run In this episode of Hark The Pod, Assistant Sports Editors Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard recap UNC men’s basketball’s season-ending loss to Ole Miss and discuss how the team will be remembered. Emma shares her experience covering the tournament in Ohio and Milwaukee, while Senior Writer Cade Shoemaker joins to break down UNC women’s basketball’s dominant win over Oregon State and Alyssa Ustby’s record-breaking performance. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/35847935

Too Late for a Turnaround? 02/25/2025

Too Late for a Turnaround? In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Assistant Editors Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard break down UNC men's basketball's recent wins over N.C. State and UVA. They also look to the future and discuss whether it's too late for the team to turn the tide. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/35415685

Spring Has Sprung for UNC Sports 02/18/2025

Spring Has Sprung for UNC Sports In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills sits down with assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to discuss UNC men's basketball's win over Syracuse. Later, Wills and Moon speak with Senior Writer Harry Crowther about his coverage of three UNC baseball games over the weekend. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/35303925

Better Luck in Baseball Season? 02/11/2025

Better Luck in Baseball Season? In this episode of Hark the Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills sits down with assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to discuss UNC men's basketball's narrow win over Pitt. As the group analyzes the major weaknesses in UNC's current basketball roster, they look to baseball season with the hope of better success. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/35246890

Defeated by the Devils 02/04/2025

Defeated by the Devils In this episode of Hark the Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills sits down with assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to break down UNC men's basketball's loss against No. 2 Duke on Saturday night. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/35139265

Welcome Back to Rivalry Season 01/29/2025

Welcome Back to Rivalry Season In this episode of Hark the Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills sits down with assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to break down an unexpected victory — The Daily Tar Heel defeating The Duke Chronicle last Friday. The group also discusses their score predictions for one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball — the famed UNC v. Duke matchup taking place this Saturday. To support student journalism, consider donating to The DTH during our rivalry fundraising challenge at /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/35075610

Bill Belichick’s Tar Heel Takeover 01/14/2025

Bill Belichick’s Tar Heel Takeover Welcome back to a new season of Hark The Pod. In this episode, Sports Editor Caroline Wills is joined by assistant editors Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to discuss the arrival of Bill Belichick to UNC football and the UNC men's basketball team's win over N.C. State. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/34826285

The End of Mack Brown 12/03/2024

The End of Mack Brown In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills is joined by assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to discuss Mack Brown's departure from UNC football and the program's future leadership. Next, the group is joined by senior writer Harry Crowther as they cover UNC women's soccer's advancement to the College Cup. They finish with a discussion about UNC men's basketball and the upcoming Crimson game. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/34220260

UNC Field Hockey falls to St. Joseph's in NCAA Tournament 11/26/2024

UNC Field Hockey falls to St. Joseph's in NCAA Tournament In this episode of Hark the Pod, Assistant Editor Matthew Maynard talks about UNC Football's devastating fall to Boston College, alongside Assistant Editor Emma Moon and senior writer Cade Shoemaker. And live from Ann Arbor, Sports Editor Caroline Wills and senior writer Anna Page Lancaster call into the studio to chat about UNC Field Hockey's performance in the NCAA Tournament. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/34169395

Woes and Triumphs 11/19/2024

Woes and Triumphs In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills is joined by assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard and senior writer Harry Crowther to talk football triumphs, soccer woes and more. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/33962507

Basketball, Football and Postseason Talk 11/12/2024

Basketball, Football and Postseason Talk In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills is joined by assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard and senior writer Anna Page Lancaster talk basketball, football, UNC field hockey and share some football score predictions. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/33870652

UNC Football Maintains Winning Streak With Victory Over FSU 11/05/2024

UNC Football Maintains Winning Streak With Victory Over FSU In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills is joined by assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to discuss UNC football's statement win against FSU on Saturday, to share their predictions for UNC football's record at the end of the season and to recap the games of other fall sports on campus. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/33765577

UNC Football Breaks Losing Streak with Victory over UVA 10/29/2024

UNC Football Breaks Losing Streak with Victory over UVA In this episode of Hark the Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills is joined by assistants Emma Moon and Matthew Maynard to recap UNC football's much-needed win over UVA and share their score predictions for UNC's match against Florida State this Saturday. The trio also breaks down last Friday's women's basketball media day in anticipation of the 2024 basketball preview. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/33664217

Remembering Tylee Craft's Impact on UNC Football 10/15/2024

Remembering Tylee Craft's Impact on UNC Football Tylee Craft, a former UNC wide receiver and student assistant coach, died Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, after his battle with cancer. He was 23. In this episode of Hark The Pod, Sports Editor Caroline Wills and Assistant Editors Matthew Maynard and Emma Moon talk all things football. The team discusses the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, Deja Kelly and UNC’s intrasquad Blue-White scrimmage in the Dean E. Smith Center. /episode/index/show/00c6ea59-e01c-4564-a926-4bb11465a071/id/33457787

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