Mack Brown expected to ‘exit gracefully’ from North Carolina job, per report

Mack Brown’s time as North Carolina’s head coach appears to be winding down.

On Friday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel published a story highlighting a multiple hot-seat situations from around the country. His report included intel on North Carolina, who has lost 4 consecutive games entering Week 9.

Thamel reports that Carolina and Brown are expected to have an amicable parting of ways after the 2024 season is complete. Here’s an excerpt from Thamel’s report:

The expectation in the industry is that Brown, who at 73 is the oldest coach in college football, figures out a way to exit gracefully. The slump, combined with Brown’s age, portends a change coming in Chapel Hill. If and how that exit comes remains to be seen, but there have been enough signs of atrophy in the program that one more year for Brown is unlikely.

The report also says that Brown and UNC both understand the “mutual benefit of a smooth exit.” Perhaps most notably, Thamel highlighted UNC’s bye week in early November as a time when “clarity could come” regarding the timeline of Brown’s exit.

This is Brown’s second stint with the program. He’s in his 16th season overall with the Tar Heels. He holds most of the program’s all-time coaching records, including wins (107) and total seasons coached.

Carolina will be hoping to get back in the win column this weekend against Virginia.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.