‘Definitely surprised’: UNC fans, students react to football coach Mack Brown’s ouster

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) – Just hours after UNC head coach Mack Brown was fired, CBS 17 spoke with fans and students on the Chapel Hill campus to get their reaction to the news.

Colson Grimes is a junior at UNC, born and raised a Tar Heels fan from Chapel Hill.

“This just doesn’t seem like the best move by the government,” Grimes said. “We have our most important regular season game coming up and then we have a bowl where we have to really try hard to win. I don’t know why you would impose this huge handicap on your team, your coaching staff and the fans.”

But freshman Tobin Smith somewhat disagrees with Brown’s departure.

“I think we had to do it a while ago,” Smith said. “It’s not that he’s a bad coach, but the program needs to go in a different direction. And I hope that the next step is in the right direction.”

Longtime UNC football fan Stanley Burch also agrees it’s time to move on.

“I think it was time for a change,” Burch said. “I don’t think the athletes responded to him. And Carolina football fundamentally deserves a better choice in charge. So I would really like to see someone else. I appreciate Mack and everything he has done for the Tar Heels, but I look forward to seeing who they get next.

Other fans are still hopeful for the future of UNC football, but many say they will miss a coach who was a fixture in Chapel Hill.

“I’m definitely surprised,” said student Owen Williams. “I think he was great for the team. He has a great character. The program is very important to his family. I kind of expected it given his performance over the last few weeks, but it’s definitely sad to see him go. Hopefully we are on the right track.”

“He’s been in the game longer than I’ve been alive, actually almost as long as my parents have been alive,” Grimes said. “And it’s difficult to keep adapting at a certain level. I don’t like Mack. I wish he could have gotten through this season without all of that.”