Mack Brown announced yesterday that he was planning to return as the North Carolina head coach next season, but the UNC athletic department had other ideas.
North Carolina announced that while Brown will coach the Tar Heels in their season finale (no word on the bowl game) against North Carolina State, he will not return to next season.
“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,” UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said. “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.”
It ends a six-year stretch as the Tar Heels head coach and 16 total years with the program — 1988-97, 2019-24.
Brown, 73, has gone 44-32 (27-22 ACC) in his latest tenure with the Tar Heels, with one more game remaining on the schedule. It was his second tenure with UNC, and while the Heels have largely remained above .500, he never reached the heights of his first tenure.
Brown left for Texas in 1998 and spent 16 seasons at the helm of the Longhorns’ program. He guided Texas to a national championship in 2005. But it’s been nearly 20 years since that title.
Pitt went 3-2 against Brown during his latest stint at UNC, including a 34-24 win in Chapel Hill, N.C. in October — the first Pitt win in Chapel Hill in program history. And Pat Narduzzi was complimentary of Brown in the buildup.
“Mack, got a ton of respect for him not only as a football coach, as a person,” Narduzzi said before the Pitt-UNC game in October. “One of my favorite guys as a person as we go down and just talk and meet with throughout the year, so Mack is an incredible guy.”
I think JMU hanging 70 on them in Chapel Hill was the beginning of the end. I think UNC could have handled this a lot better. This is not something you do the week of your biggest rivalry game. He really should have been given the opportunity to step aside gracefully.
I remember seeing something that he was planning on retiring when the season ended. I think they were going to honor that plan instead he stated he was going to return a couple of days ago which then changed everything. Of course I don’t know what happens behind closed doors.
https://sports.yahoo.com/north-carolinas-mack-brown-isnt-planning-to-resign-after-telling-team-hed-step-down-if-he-was-the-problem-171159671.html