For the first time in his career, Mack Brown will be leaving a head coaching position against his will.
The University of North Carolina informed the College Football Hall of Famer and the winningest coach in Tar Heels history that it was making a change at coach. Brown will coach Saturday’s regular season finale against NC State. It was not announced whether he would be at the helm for a bowl game.
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 AD Bubba Cunningham said in a statement from the school. “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.”
Brown, who had previously left coaching jobs at App State and Tulane for higher-profile positions, took over as UNC coach in 1988. After a pair of 1-10 seasons, he had eight straight winning seasons for the Tar Heels, earning six straight bowl bids, culminating with back-to-back 10-win seasons in 1996 and 1997.
Brown then left the Tar Heels for Texas, where he went 158-48 over 16 seasons, winning the 2005 national championship. He retired as Longhorns coach after the 2013 season and worked in television until returning to UNC in 2019. He led the Heels to bowl bids in all six seasons of his second term in Chapel Hill, although the team was frequently criticized for underperforming despite having record-breaking quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye.
This season, UNC gave up 70 points in a home loss to James Madison, and Brown reportedly threatened to quit in a postgame address to his team. That loss started a four-game skid, including three home losses. Brown and the Tar Heels turned the season around with a three-game winning streak that included his first win over his alma mater, Florida State. A 41-21 loss at Boston College last weekend snapped that win streak, however.
“While this was not the perfect time and way in which I imagined going out, no time will ever be the perfect time,” Brown said in a statement. “I’ve spent 16 seasons at North Carolina and will always cherish the memories and relationships Sally and I have built while serving as head coach. We’ve had the chance to coach and mentor some great young men, and we’ll miss having the opportunity to do that in the future. Moving forward, my total focus is on helping these players and coaches prepare for Saturday’s game against N.C. State and give them the best chance to win. We want to send these seniors out right and I hope our fans will show up Saturday to do the same.”
Brown said last week that he intended to return to UNC next year, a statement he doubled down on in Monday’s weekly press conference.
