North Carolina football is appearing in its sixth consecutive bowl game on Saturday, the first time the Tar Heels have enjoyed such a streak since 1992-98.
But the coach who led both of those bowl game streaks, Mack Brown, will not be leading his team at the Fenway Bowl against UConn on Saturday. Three days prior to the Tar Heels’ regular season finale against NC State, UNC announced it was parting ways with Brown and wouldn’t bring him back for the 2025 season.
It was the closing chapter to Brown’s long history with the Tar Heels program, as the 73-year-old spent 16 years of his 35-year coaching career in Chapel Hill across two separate stints. The decision came after UNC dropped four consecutive games from Sept. 21 through Oct. 12, including one to James Madison.
REQUIRED READING:‘It’s time to go’: Everything UNC football coach Mack Brown said after final game
Run game coordinator and tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens will serve as UNC’s interim coach vs. UConn on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know on why Brown was fired at UNC, including a look at how the Tar Heels fared under him and more:
Why was Mack Brown fired at UNC?
After an underwhelming 6-6 regular season, UNC announced on Nov. 26 that it wasn’t bringing Brown back for the 2025 season — which came shortly after Brown had expressed interest in returning the following year.
“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 athletic director Bubba Cunningham in a statement. “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.
“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.”
While the Tar Heels had overall success in his six years of his second tenure in Chapel Hill — UNC finished with four winning seasons — the program came up short in the postseason under Brown. In the five bowl games appearances under Brown, UNC had only won one game: the 2019 Military Bowl.
As previously reported by The Fayetteville Observer, Brown told reporters following the NC State loss that he had hoped to discuss his future at UNC with the Tar Heels administration — including Cunningham — after the game.
“As far as the he said, she said … I don’t need any of that. There were three people that talked about this. It was me and John Preyer, who’s our chairman for the board of trustees, and athletics director (Bubba) Cunningham,” Brown said.
“I never talked to the (UNC) chancellor, didn’t have one conversation with him. And all I wanted to do was wait until the end of the year. They wanted me to retire on Monday before the State game. … I didn’t want to break their hearts on Monday. I said, ‘No, I won’t do that.’ Then, they wanted me to do it on Friday. I sure wasn’t going to do it on Friday before the game.”
Brown continued to speak openly following UNC’s 35-30 loss to in-state rival NC State on Nov. 30 about his future, even saying he agrees with the decision by the administration for a new change at top.
“I agree with the administration that we need a change of leadership at the top. I just wanted it to happen after the season was over,” Brown said. “These poor kids have had so much turmoil in their lives. I think the administration’s into finding a football coach and I’m into saving lives.”
He added: “I think it’s time to go. I always said for God to tell me when it’s time to go”
Mack Brown UNC record
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of how the Tar Heels fared under Brown during his second tenure in Chapel Hill:
Postseason result in parentheses
- 2019: 7-6 (Win — Military Bowl)
- 2020: 8-4 (Loss — Orange Bowl)
- 2021: 6-7 (Loss — Duke’s Mayo Bowl)
- 2022: 9-5 (Loss — Holiday Bowl)
- 2023: 8-5 (Loss — Duke’s Mayo Bowl)
- 2024: 6-6 *
* Note: Mack Brown led UNC to the Fenway Bowl but won’t coach in the game.
Who was hired to replace Mack Brown at UNC?
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was hired as Brown’s replacement at UNC on Dec. 11. The six-time Super Bowl winning coach is the oldest coach in college football at 72-years-old.
After five seasons at the helm of the University of North Carolina football program, Mack Brown and the Tar Heels have decided to part ways. Brown, who returned to UNC in 2018 for his second stint as head coach, led the team to a 6-7 record this season, falling short of expectations.
The decision to part ways with Brown comes after a disappointing season that saw the Tar Heels struggle on both sides of the ball. Despite a strong start to the season, including wins over ranked opponents like Wake Forest and NC State, UNC faltered down the stretch, losing five of their last six games.
Brown, who previously led the Tar Heels to a 69-46 record and five bowl appearances during his first stint as head coach from 1988 to 1997, had high hopes for the program upon his return. However, after failing to meet expectations over the past few seasons, both Brown and the university decided it was time for a change.
UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham expressed his gratitude for Brown’s contributions to the program, stating, “Mack Brown is a legend in the world of college football and we are thankful for all he has done for the University of North Carolina. However, after careful consideration, we have decided to go in a different direction for the future of our football program.”
As the search for a new head coach begins, UNC fans are left wondering what the future holds for their beloved Tar Heels. Only time will tell who will lead the program next and what changes lie ahead for UNC football.
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