Hall of Famer Mack Brown will not be on the sideline next season after the University of North Carolina Tar Heels announced Tuesday that the program's winningest head coach is stepping down.
The announcement came a day after Brown said he intended to return in 2025 with three years left on his contract.
Brown began his second stint in Chapel Hill in 2019. His first stint at UNC began in 1988, and he left after the 1997 season.
Brown was then named head coach at the University of Texas, where he led the Longhorns to a national championship in 2005. UNC officials have decided to make a coaching change, but Brown is expected to remain on at least until Saturday's final regular-season game against the Tar Heels. North Carolina. It's unclear whether Brown will remain in the bowl game.
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North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown during the first half of the Dukes-Mayo Bowl vs. South Carolina Gamecocks at Bank of America Stadium on December 30, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Getty Images)
Brown said in a statement from the program that he is focused on the rivalry game against the Wolfpack.
“This wasn't the perfect time or way I imagined going out, but there's never a perfect time,” Brown said. “I spent 16 seasons at North Carolina and will always cherish the memories and relationships that (wife) Sally and I developed while serving as head coach. We have some great young men and women. I had the opportunity to mentor and coach, and I will miss having those opportunities in the future.”
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Athletic director Bubba Cunningham informed Brown that there would be a coaching change, but the specific reason for the change was not immediately made public.
Cunningham praised Brown for holding the program's lifetime wins record and pushing for improvements to the program's infrastructure. He also praised Brown's leadership within the community and during tough times, such as that of player Tyree Craft, who recently passed away after a battle with cancer.
North Carolina head coach Mack Brown before the start of the game against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta on October 28, 2023. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire, Getty Images)
After Brown stabilized a crashing program, the Tar Heels earned a bowl berth in each season of Brown's second stint, and the team advanced to the ACC Championship Game in 2022. But this year's team faces the difficult task of replacing Drake, the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Quarterback Maye had a difficult first half of the season that shook his confidence in the program's footing.
The low point was when the Tar Heels were given 70 points in a home loss to James Madison. In the aftermath, Brown made emotional comments to the team in the locker room, saying he was unsure whether to stay as coach, leading to uncertainty about the program's immediate future.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown rushes onto the field during the ACC Championship Game against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Ekin Howard/Getty Images)
Brown apologized and said he was “disappointed” in how the team handled the loss, which came after a 3-0 start and a four-game losing streak.
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Brown has 288 career wins, including 113 at UNC, with all but six of his overall wins coming at the top level of college football, ranking him as the winningest active coach in the bowl division ranks. are. Brown, Georgia's Kirby Smart and Clemson's Dabo Swinney are the only active FBS coaches to win a national title.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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