Mack Brown fired by UNC a day after he said he planned to return

"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," director of athletics Bubba Cunningham said 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. 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.

In the middle of their sixth year with Brown as their head coach, the Tar Heels are heading into their final game of the regular season with a disappointing 6-5 record.

After finishing with at least eight wins in 2022 and 2023, North Carolina has taken a few steps back this season. However, when a program loses an elite quarterback like the Tar Heels did after the 2023 campaign when Drake Maye left to enter the NFL Draft, some regression was to be expected.

Still, some hoped Brown could help North Carolina succeed even more during his sixth year at the school. Instead, the Tar Heels haven't appeared in the AP Top 25 poll at any point this season for the first time since 2019, when Brown became the school's new head coach.

Brown was in the middle of his second stint as North Carolina's head coach. The Tar Heels hired him in 1988, and he remained with the school until after the 1997 season, when he left to become the new head coach for Texas.

With the Longhorns, Brown achieved the most success of his coaching career. He helped the school win at least 10 games for nine straight seasons, including the 2005 campaign, when Texas finished with a 13-0 record and won that season's National Championship.

However, North Carolina is already bowl-eligible this year, so the school's season won't be over if it loses to a 5-6 North Carolina State team on Saturday. UNC confirmed Brown will coach the final game, but it hasn't made a decision on his status for the bowl game.