UNC fires Mack Brown – leading candidate for the Tar Heels

Mack Brown’s return from retirement in 2019 to lead North Carolina left an underperforming program with a strong connection to the past and a chance for a brighter future.

The Hall of Fame coach provided an initial boost, taking UNC to the Orange Bowl and a No. 18 ranking in the AP in his second season. Brown improved recruiting and oversaw the development of productive quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye. He made bowl games every season, but the breakthrough he and the Tar Heels were hoping for never really came. Although the 73-year-old Brown remained energetic, his age and ability to effectively lead the program became an annual question. Although he announced his intention to return in 2025 on Monday, he was fired the following day.

He is 44-32 in his second stint at North Carolina, a far cry from his first, when he posted AP top-10 finishes in his last two seasons and went 54-18 in his last six years. Since Brown’s final season in 1997, North Carolina has had just one 10-win season and still hasn’t won the ACC Championship.

The UNC job has clear pros and cons. North Carolina is the flagship school in a state rich in high school talent. The program has increased its investment in football and has a very recognizable brand. But UNC will always be a basketball school, and the long stretch without elite success might give some candidates pause. Although veteran athletic director Bubba Cunningham will likely consider coaches from a variety of backgrounds, he may want to emphasize defense given the program’s ongoing struggles on that side.

Here are eight possible options Cunningham could consider to replace Brown.