Thoughts on Mack Brown’s Hurt Feelings and Dave Doeren’s Response

After NC State beat UNC for the third straight year on November 25th, Wolfpack Head Coach Dave Doeren was recorded in the locker room saying “You know it’s been 1,460 days since those pieces of s*** beat us.”

Well, it looks like Mack Brown’s feelings are still hurt.

In Brown’s National Signing Day Press Conference today, out of nowhere, not pertaining to the topic of the day whatsoever, he decided to address Doeren’s locker room banter.

“In our last ball game with a rival school after the game, the head coach of that school called our players a piece of s***, and I apologize for that language, but I’ve never heard something like that before. I’m disappointed. I thought it was classless. It’s not true. Number one, we didn’t play well in the game. We didn’t coach well in the game. It’s been very well documented and I got that, but you don’t call kids a piece of s*** and I’ve addressed it with our team. I apologized to them.

“These kids are one of the top academic groups in America. They got an award for AFCA’s top 13. They’ve won a Coastal division. They’ve won a bunch of games. They’ve been to an Orange Bowl, been to five-straight bowls. They represent us. And from me speaking for them and their parents, they really didn’t appreciate being called a piece of s***. Never heard that before. Very, very disappointing, but, it is what it is.”

A member of the media in Doeren’s press conference today, brought up the fact that Mack was in his feels during his press conference, and asked for a response from the Wolfpack head coach.

Doeren responds to making comments about UNC in locker room. pic.twitter.com/0x96H3RgkZ

— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) December 20, 2023

“You should have heard what I said about myself and my own team after we lost to Duke in that locker room. First of all, when we go to these meetings, we’re supposed to get notice that there’s a camera in our locker room. That was not done.

“I have a lot of regret that that was on TV because it shouldn’t have been. When you go into the locker room with your team, that is a private conversation unless they ask if they can be in there with a camera. That was not asked. That doesn’t give me an excuse to have that public. But that’s what happened. No one told me.

“If I knew I was on camera, my language would not have been what it was. Does it make it any better? No? I did call coach and apologize because I could have used a lot of different words. It caught me in the heat of a moment situation in the locker room. Celebrating a huge win. I was fired up about how we played.

“I have respect for Coach. Last thing I wanted was for him to feel that. Again it’s not an excuse, but it shouldn’t have been on TV. I think there’s a thousand coaches out there will tell you that if we had to apologize for everything we said in the locker room, we’d probably spend a lot of time doing that. It’s a place where a lot of emotion comes out. I could have said that in a much more professional way. I regret not doing that. What I don’t regret is having passion with my players and celebrating the big win. I’m going to continue to do that.

“Hopefully down the road we’ll get the courtesy that we deserve when we’re going to be on TV in those moments. I understand their side of it. It’s signing day, I’d rather talk about that.”

So many thoughts, but before I get to mine, Rob McClamb and Brad Crawford sum it up well.

I saw more anger and disgust from Wolfpack fans towards Drake Maye when he apologized than when he made his initial comments belittling NC State.

It’s a rivalry. Putdowns happen. Toughen up. If you don’t like a rival’s words or actions, beat them. Period.

— Rob McLamb (@RobMcLamb) December 20, 2023

I don’t what’s funnier — Mack Brown apologizing to his players on behalf of Dave Doeren or being *actually* mad about this locker room footage.

This is simple rivalry fodder.

Mind you, UNC made Drake Maye apologize last season for his ‘can’t get into UNC joke’ about State. https://t.co/fyP5fpbp6O

— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) December 20, 2023

I’ll share a couple of my own.

First, Brown addressed NC State as “a rival school” and Dave Doeren as “the head coach of that school.” Refusing to say “NC State” and “Dave Doeren” was petty and silly. With that being said, Brown spending time to talk about NC State, unprompted, at his National Signing Day Press Conference, is simply gold. NC State living rent free in Brown’s mind 25 days after defeat, is what I like to see.

Second, I’m not advocating for the use of profanity, but all I know, is I played High School football, and for Brown to say “I’ve never heard something like that before” is a flat out lie. That banter happens in locker rooms every single week, at every level of football. The only difference is, this time there was a camera rolling, unbeknownst to Doeren.

Third, while Brown thinks Doeren’s words in the locker room were “classless”, the fact that Brown went on this rant after Doeren already called and apologized after the game, is “childish.”

Fourth, Doeren’s words in the locker room weren’t saying the student athletes weren’t intelligent, or hadn’t won football games. They were words directed at a rival football program…a rival school…not specifically the individual players (again, not advocating for Doeren’s language). The fact that Brown felt the need to lay out a list of accomplishments on and off the field of his players, felt like a parent awkwardly going overboard sharing about how wonderful their kids are in a moment of insecurity.

Fifth, this is a football rivalry.

Sixth, Doeren’s response was perfect. Raw, humble, apologetic, and realistic.

Seeing Brown complain about NC State unprompted, who isn’t ‘really a rival’ according to their fanbase, at a National Signing Day Press Conference, and then not take any questions after his comments and proceed to walk off set…is priceless.