Nov 23, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown looks on during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

North Carolina Tar Heels Fire Ex Texas Longhorns Coach Mack Brown

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Nov 26, 2024 11:00 AM ET

Former Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown is out of the coaching ranks once more, as the North Carolina Tar Heels announced he will not return after this season.

Brown, 73, will coach in Saturday's regular-season finale against NC State, but the program hasn't determined if he'll coach in the bowl game.

"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," UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. "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."

Brown coached at Texas from 1998-2013 and enjoyed great success with the program. In 16 seasons, he led the Longhorns to a 156-48 record, 98-33 in Big 12 play, and two national championship games, winning the 2005 game against the USC Trojans in a thriller.

Following the 2013 season, Brown announced his resignation as head coach of the Longhorns. He then remained out of coaching for half a decade until returning to Chapel Hill, where he coached from 1988-1997, in 2019. In his second stint with the Tar Heels, he has a 44-32 record, going 27-22 in ACC play.

This season has been a rough one for Brown and the Tar Heels, especially considering they came in with some high expectations. North Carolina is just 6-5 on the season (3-4 in ACC play), and an embarrassing 70-50 home loss to James Madison on Sept. 21 raised doubts about his future. A 41-21 road loss to Boston College on Saturday, in which the Tar Heels trailed 41-7 in the fourth quarter, proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

If this is the end of Brown's coaching career, then he leaves a great legacy behind. Not just in Austin, but in the sport as a whole.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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