Outgoing North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham shares how Steve Newmark can "add value" to the Tar Heels

North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham is set to leave his role within the next year, replaced by RFK Racing president Steve Newmark, who has joined the school. During an appearance on the "Carolina Insider" podcast on Tuesday, Cunningham touched on how Newmark could "add value" to the Tar Heels.

Newmark has built experience working for NASCAR and the law firm Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson, but this will be his first work at a school’s athletic program.

“We have a guy coming in who has connections to the college space, connections to Carolina, but isn’t deeply involved in it,” Cunningham said about Newmark per Carolina Insider.

Cunningham revealed his intention with Newmark and how he is looking to go about it.

“For the next year, I can mentor him on, what does intercollegiate athletics looks like today? Where do I think it’s headed? What does Carolina look like? Where does the Rams Club fit? Where do all the other entities fit? And then, have him share with us where he thinks he can add the most value. Specifically, he’s going to add value in our revenue areas.

Cunningham shared other things that have been put in place to ensure Newmark succeeds.

“Rick Barakat has come in as our Deputy AD for revenue generation – he’s our chief revenue officer. So he’s been in the trenches already … figuring out what is the best way for us to pay for the investment we made in our football program and continue to drive revenue for expansion of all of the opportunities for our student-athletes? So Steve will work directly with him and get his mind around that.”

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North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham breaks down the duties for Steve Newmark

UNC has several sporting programs, and Cunningham is ready to let Newmark know that work has to be done across these teams.

“We have general managers in football, basketball, baseball, and women’s basketball," Cunningham said on Tuesday (per On3). So how are we going to continue to evaluate talent, value talent and then, evaluate our own performance in that area?”

“In addition to that, how do we take this commercial space – that he’s very familiar with – and integrate him with the campus community and the educational values that we feel are so important here."

Cunningham has been serving as the athletic director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since November 2011.