N.C. coach Mack Brown has knee replacement performed by former player

June 4 (UPI) -- North Carolina football coach Mack Brown is recovering after knee replacement surgery performed by one of his former players.

The university released a statement from Brown about the surgery, which was performed Monday by Dr. Michael Bolognesi.

"First off, how cool is it that one of our former players replaced my knee yesterday. We talk about building young men so they can be productive husbands, fathers and citizens," Brown said in the statement.

"Carolina produces a lot of special people and I'm happy we were able to play a small part in Mike's development because we counted on him and he, along with the rest of the surgical and anesthetic team, did a tremendous job."

Bolognesi played for the Tar Heels from 1989 to 1993 as a defensive back.

The 67-year-old Brown is preparing for his second stint as the coach of the Tar Heels. He was hired to replace Larry Fedora in November.

He previously was the coach at North Carolina 1988 to 1997 after coming from Tulane. After leaving North Carolina, Brown coached at Texas from 1998 to 2013.