North Carolina parting ways with Hall of Fame football coach Mack Brown
Brown is expected to coach the Tar Heels in the regular-season finale
Hall of Famer Mack Brown will not be on the North Carolina Tar Heels' sideline next season after the university announced Tuesday it was moving on from the program's winningest head coach.
The announcement came one day after Brown said he intended to return in 2025 with three years remaining on his contract.
Brown began his second stint in Chapel Hill in 2019. His first stint at UNC began in 1988, and he departed after the 1997 season.
Brown was then named the head coach at Texas, leading the Longhorns to the national championship in 2005. Although UNC officials have decided to make a coaching change, Brown is expected to be retained at least through the Tar Heels' regular-season finale Saturday against North Carolina State. It's unclear if Brown will stay on for a bowl game.
"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. "I’ve spent 16 seasons at North Carolina and will always cherish the memories and relationships (wife) 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."
Athletic director Bubba Cunningham informed Brown there would be a coaching change, although a specific reason for the change was not immediately made public.
The Tar Heels were bowl eligible in every season of Brown's second stint after he stabilized a crashing program, and the team reached the ACC championship game in 2022. But this year’s team, facing the daunting challenge of replacing No. 3 overall NFL draft pick Drake Maye at quarterback, had a difficult first half of the season that shook confidence in the program’s footing.
The low point was the Tar Heels surrendering 70 points in a home loss to James Madison.
