North Carolina announces final decision on Mack Brown's future
North Carolina has fired head coach Mack Brown.
The program announced that news in a statement on Tuesday:
https://twitter.com/GoHeels/status/1861432504370262458
Brown will coach Carolina in its regular-season finale against NC State on Saturday, per the statement. The program also says a decision has not been made about whether or not Brown will coach UNC in its bowl game.
Here’s the full statement from North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham:
“Mack Brown has won more games than any football coach in UNC history, and we deeply appreciate all that he has done for Carolina football and our University. Over the last six seasons – his second campaign in Chapel Hill — he has coached our team to six bowl berths, including an Orange Bowl, while mentoring 18 NFL draft picks. He and his wife Sally have done an outstanding job supporting the Carolina community, including raising funds for UNC Children’s Hospital while hosting other popular events such as the Ladies Day Clinic. Both also have been terrific in leading our program during some incredibly tough stretches, including the tragic passing of wide receiver Tylee Craft this season.
“Coach Brown has led the Carolina football program back into the national conversation as we improved the program’s facilities, significantly increased the size of the staff, invested in salaries and bolstered our nutrition and strength and conditioning programs. He also has been a dedicated fundraiser, strengthening the football endowment while also supporting our other sports programs.
“We thank Coach Brown for his dedication to Carolina, and wish him, Sally and their family all the best.”
ESPN’s Pete Thamel was first to report that news on Tuesday morning. Shortly before Thamel reported it was done, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz cited sources saying Brown was “expected” to be fired by the program.
It’s long been the expectation that Brown would step aside after the 2024 season. However, this news comes on the heels of multiple reports over the past week of Brown indicating both privately and publicly that he intends to return as UNC’s head coach in 2025.
Brown, college football’s oldest active coach at 73 years old, is closing out his second stint as Carolina’s head coach. He’s been in Chapel Hill since 2019 and has led the Tar Heels to a bowl game in 6 consecutive seasons.
With 107 victories on his ledger, Brown is the winningest head coach in North Carolina football history. He’s also led UNC to 12 bowl games across his 2 stints in Chapel Hill, which is the most of any coach.
North Carolina is the first power-conference head coaching job to open this cycle. The Tar Heels will finish out their 2024 season on Saturday against NC State.
Wish Brown would have seen the writing on the wall and lead the charge on his transition.
Maybe he told UNC they would have to fire him. So they did.
That could be. Pride goeth before the fall. Hubris was keeping him in the job. With his record at UNC it isn’t like they couldn’t find a coach that was younger, could recruit better, and could lose 5 games a year for less salary.
He has fought the fight, and it is time for him to let someone else do it. UNC’s success has been mediocre under Brown, they have lost at least 5 games a season for the last 5 seasons. Their best season under Brown was a 4 loss season despite having multiple NFL draft choices at QB. Some of you may know, but I don’t, if UNC has the ability, or the will, to be an ACC power in football. As it is, they have had only one season of double digit wins in the last 27 years and not that many more, six, in the last 50.