North Carolina football coach Mack Brown said Monday that he intends to return next season after a turbulent 2024 campaign.
Brown, 73, was asked about his future at his weekly news conference as the Tar Heels prepared for their regular-season finale against rival NC State. When asked directly if he plans to return in 2025, Brown said yes.
Brown was asked about his intentions after telling reporters that he has yet to discuss his future with athletic director Bubba Cunningham.
“You never talk to your athletic director until the year is over,” Brown said.
Brown later expanded on his thoughts regarding retirement during his second stint as North Carolina’s head coach.
“I’m not going to think about retirement. I’m not going to talk about retirement,” Brown said. … “There’s going to be a morning when I get up and I’m like, ‘You know what, somebody else should be leading this team. They’re better than me at this point.’ Then I go do something else.”
2024 season in North Carolina
Brown is in his sixth season at North Carolina since returning to Chapel Hill in 2019. The Tar Heels (6-5) won their first three games but saw their season spiral after a 70-50 loss at home to James Madison in Week 4. this prompted speculation about Brown’s job security
Brown reportedly told his team in the locker room after the loss that he was willing to resign if he couldn’t fix the team’s problems. A day later, Brown said he would not resign.
North Carolina followed up its loss to James Madison with three straight losses to open ACC play, including a loss to rival Duke. The Tar Heels then won three straight against Virginia, Florida State and Wake Forest before Saturday’s 41-21 loss to Boston College.
UNC had one of the program’s best runs in Brown’s first stint in Chapel Hill from 1988-97. The Tar Heels produced three 10-win seasons, including a 10-1 campaign that finished No. 6 in the AP poll in 1997, Brown’s final season before leaving to become the head coach at Texas.
Brown returned to North Carolina in 2019 after 16 seasons in Austin, which included a national championship in 2005. Brown’s had several accomplishments in his return, including a trip to the ACC Championship Game in 2022 and the recruitment and development of quarterback Drake Maye.
But North Carolina has failed to eclipse the nine-game winning streak since his return and is still seeking its first ACC title since 1980.
North Carolina will host NC State in Saturday’s regular season finale. Cunningham has not spoken publicly about Brown’s future with the program.