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North Carolina football coach Mack Brown confirms plans for 2025

Originally posted on NCAA Football on ClutchPoints
By Jaren Kawada | Last updated Nov 25, 2024 12:54 PM ET

With one game remaining in the 2024 regular season, Mack Brown is ready to run it back with North Carolina. Many fans speculated that the 73-year-old might retire at the end of his 36th year as a college football head coach but the Chapel Hill legend is looking to add at least one more year to his career, Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports reported.

Zenitz initially reported on Nov. 20 that the longtime head coach was not planning on retiring at the end of the 2024 season. Brown then confirmed the rumor on Monday at a North Carolina press conference. He is under contract with the team through the 2027 season.

Brown is currently in the sixth season of his second stint as North Carolina’s head football coach. He rose to prominence during his original tenure with the Tar Heels from 1988 to 1997, ending his run with back-to-back 10-win seasons. His success led to him signing with Texas in 1998, where he would remain until 2013.

While Brown would lead the Longhorns to a national championship in 2005 and a runner-up finish in 2009, he fell out of favor with the fanbase at the end of his term. He resigned in 2013 and remained away from coaching for five years before returning to Chapel Hill ahead of the 2019 season.

Mack Brown and North Carolina’s up-and-down 2024 season

North Carolina Tarheels head coach Mack Brown during warmups before a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Robert Myers-Imagn Images

Much like Brown’s overarching career, the 2024 season has been inconsistent at best for North Carolina. The Tar Heels started the year on a high note at 3-0 but saw everything come crashing down with a brutal 70-50 loss to James Madison at home. Despite their occasional poor performances, North Carolina still owns wins over Minnesota, Florida State and Wake Forest on the year.

The Tar Heels currently have a 6-5 record through 11 games with their annual rivalry game against NC State still on the schedule. Though they are far from ACC contention, they have already locked up a bowl game appearance regardless of what happens in Week 14.

Having alternated winning and losing streaks on the year, it is not a positive sign that North Carolina is coming off a loss to Boston College in Week 13. The 41-21 defeat ended their three-game win streak that came on the heels of a four-game losing streak that started with James Madison.

NC State, who has struggled all year since losing quarterback Grayson McCall, enters the game off consecutive losses to Duke and Georgia Tech. The Wildcats bring a 5-6 record into the rivalry game, meaning they will need a win to qualify for a bowl game in December.

This article first appeared on NCAA Football on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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