UNC Fires Mack Brown Before the Rivalry Game Against NC State

Yesterday, Mack Brown expressed his intentions to return as the Tar Heels Head Football Coach in 2025.

Today, UNC announced that they were firing the Hall of Fame Coach.

North Carolina is firing head coach Mack Brown, per @RossDellenger 🤯 pic.twitter.com/iuYr2tjvXS

— Rivals (@Rivals) November 26, 2024

Apparently, the plan is for Brown to coach the season finale against rival NC State this Saturday, but it is undetermined if he will coach UNC in their Bowl Game.

Breaking: North Carolina head football coach Mack Brown will not return next season, the school announced.

Brown will coach on Saturday in the season finale against NC State, but a decision has not been reached on whether Brown will coach in a Bowl game. pic.twitter.com/0lqoXR59g1

— ESPN (@espn) November 26, 2024

Here is UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham’s statement.

Here is Brown’s statement.

Brown is the first Power 4 Head Coach fired this season.

There were 3 years left on Brown’s contract, and UNC’s buyout of the contract will cost them $2,812,500.

I am by no means a fan of Mack Brown, but in this writer’s humble opinion, this is pretty cold. Brown has the most active wins of any head coach, the most wins in UNC history, has been to a bowl every season since returning to his post, has won National Coach of the Year, ACC Coach of the Year and Big 12 Coach of the Year, and has the 6th most wins in College Football history.

Most wins by active HC? Mack Brown.
Most wins in UNC history? Mack Brown.
Bowl every yr since return? Mack Brown.
COY, ACC COY, B12 COY? Mack Brown.
6th most wins CFB history? Mack Brown.

UNC firing him is an awful look.
You should never fire all-time legends.

— Sam Block (@theblockspot) November 26, 2024

To pour even more salt in the wound, Brown was fired on the exact date he was hired 6 years ago.

I understand wanting to get a head start in finding your next head coach, but firing a coach of Brown’s pedigree before the regular season finale is classless. Also, how were Cunningham and Brown not on the same page with the future of the program. Surely Cunningham could have informed Brown of his intentions, and allowed him to resign.

It will be interesting to see how this development effects the game this Saturday. How will the Tar Heel players respond?