You might say that the Chacos family is one of Carolina Women’s Basketball’s “biggest” supporters, both literally and figuratively.

When the last name “Chacos” is mentioned in the same sentence as Carolina Athletics, odds are your mind goes to football. Andy played tight end for the Tar Heels from 1971-1974, and his son Brian continued the legacy, suiting up at offensive tackle for Carolina Football from 2001-2006. But football isn’t their only athletic passion at Carolina.

“My dad and I are two really big guys,” said Brian, a major gifts director for The Rams Club. “We’re both 6’5”, and around 300 pounds. We eat, sleep, and breathe football. But in the past year and a half, as a family, we’ve all really gotten on board with Coach Banghart and the women’s basketball program.”

The Backbone

The Chacos family’s involvement with Women’s Basketball first began as members of the inaugural “Bench Seat” program – an effort that began in 2020 to offer additional direct support to the program.

“The bench is your backbone for a basketball program because you need them, and you’re better with them,” said Coach Courtney Banghart. “In our case, it was finding those supporters that are going to be with us from the very beginning, and are going to have our back, and they’re going to be there. They’re the ones that believed in you when there wasn’t anything to believe in yet, and also believe in the future.”

For Debbie, the matriarch of the Chacos family, who grew up playing basketball in a pre-Title IX era, joining the “Bench Seat” program was a way to support not just the current generation of Carolina student-athletes, but also to look ahead to the next generation – thinking of her granddaughters Sloane, 10, and Zoe, 8.

“My granddaughters are doing so many different things, and the world is opened up to them, not only in sports but in pretty much everything,” said Debbie. “When you sit and talk to your granddaughters, they’ll say things like ‘What? Boys and girls don’t have the same things?’. It was important for us to show our level of support. It was the right time to do it.”

Like Family

Despite joining the “Bench Seat” program, the Chacoses’ ability to support Carolina Women’s Basketball in person was extremely limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans weren’t allowed at the games, and the level of personal interaction between the program and the Chacoses was initially limited to the occasional Zoom call.

“We were able to meet the girls on Zoom, and it was interesting,” said Debbie. “But it was not the same as being there in person. We wanted to get to know the team on a more personal level.”

Early in the summer of 2021 with the blessing of the compliance office, the Chacoses invited the Women’s Basketball team to their house for dinner and to finally meet in person. It was there that the relationships were formed and solidified.

“It was very much of a more casual kind of a thing,” recalled Andy. “I think once the ice was broken, all the players enjoyed themselves. Debbie was in the dining room with like eight or ten coaches and players. I sat at a table in the kitchen with six or eight other players, and we had some great conversations.”

“They love what basketball has afforded them,” Debbie continued. “They’ve loved the sport since they were little. And they love Carolina. They love basketball and they’re infectious as a group. They care for each other. There is no superstar. They talk out there on the court and do all these things for each other because they care for each other.”

It was a memorable dinner for Coach Banghart as well.

“We went over there, and it was as if you were going into family member’s Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a wonderful meal,” she said. “It was just low-key, it was fun. Our players felt an immediate connection. And then I got to talking with Debbie, who really wanted to do something to support women’s athletics.

“At that time, I have to admit, it was so natural,” Banghart continued. “I wasn’t thinking of myself, and I don’t think they were thinking of us. I think it was more this was us being honest and saying these are the things that are important to you.”

Completing the Connection

The 2021-22 season meant a return of fans to Carmichael Arena, and the Chacoses have had literal front row seats for the action, becoming part of the Carolina Women’s Basketball family.

“We didn’t know anything about women’s basketball. None. Nothing. I couldn’t have told you a single player,” Debbie said with a laugh. “Now, my grandson (Jax, 5) is learning his numbers by saying, ‘Is this number 10 and Alyssa’s number?’ The grandkids come to every game with us.”

Following the Tar Heels’ upset victory over then No. 3-ranked Louisville, both the team and head coach ran over to the sidelines to celebrate briefly with the Chacoses after the win. It’s not lost on the Chacos family the joy that the program has given them.

“These young ladies and Coach Banghart have really, really meant the world to my parents, and they really have touched them and hold a special place in their heart,” said Brian. “With the way that they communicate with them, the outreach and just how hard they play and the way they show up every night – for my parents, it has been a great program to support, to get behind.”

A Renovation & Renaming

Andy and Debbie recently committed a significant gift to renovate the Women’s Basketball players’ lounge inside of Carmichael Arena as part of a larger capital project that will include improved team spaces and a dedicated practice gym.

“My parents are passionate about making sure that things are equitable on campus,” said Brian. “They want, obviously, the best for the young women that come to Carolina, to have great opportunities to be successful. And a lot of that, bottom line, it comes down to having the right resources. They saw this as an area where the Women’s Basketball team could really benefit.”

Coach Banghart was thrilled by the generosity and sincerity behind the gift, and noted it was important that the renovation bear the Chacos family name.

“They’re so genuine with their support,” she said. “They asked me ‘What is it that you need?’ It’s not ‘What do they want to give?’, it’s ‘What do we need?’ Whether that’s sexy or not, they didn’t care. If that’s what we need, that’s what they wanted to do.”

“They didn’t care about the naming at first,” Coach Banghart continued. “I said, ‘Well, just like you didn’t care whether I needed a new locker room or I needed a new recruiting room. You said whatever I need. What I need is your name to be somewhere where I can say this family chose us.’ That kind of says it all.”