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RALEIGH – North Carolina Coach Mack Brown had been the subject of rumors in recent weeks regarding his future as the head man of the Tar Heels.
A week ago this past Thursday, a national network ran a story saying he was going to retire at the end of the season, so THI got a statement from Jeremy Sharpe, UNC’s Director of Football Communications and Branding, that Brown was indeed returning. THI ran a story that afternoon.
Following the Tar Heels’ 39-20 loss at NC State on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium, it came up again, as Brown was asked in his postgame press conference if he had indicated to the players he would be back next season.
“I think we addressed that last week,” he replied, referring to the statement by Sharpe.
The member of the media who asked the question then noted it was Sharpe’s statement, technically.
“Yeah, I'm planning on being back,” Brown then said. “I hadn't even thought about it until y'all brought it up. Gets brought up every year. When you're 72, that’s a regular, you can just mark it down.
“It's the Thursday before the last game, before recruiting starts, because everybody that's competing against you — and you all had a dead day, you needed something to write, so it all it all fit in there.”
Brown was asked again for the sake of clarity if he would indeed be back.
“Yes,” the Hall of Famer replied.
The Tar Heels opened the season 6-0 and ranked No. 10 in the nation, but since have dropped four of six games, including four of five in ACC play. They conclude the regular season 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the league, and finish in seventh place in the ACC.
Brown is in is fifth season of stint number two at North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 38-26 since he returned following the 2018 season, including 24-18 ACC mark.
He led the program to the Orange Bowl in 2020, its first major bowl appearance in 71 years, and last year guided UNC to a Coastal Division title, spot in the ACC Championship game, and nine wins. It was Carolina’s second season winning more than eight games since Brown left the first time following the 1997 campaign.
If this year’s team wins its bowl game and reaches nine victories, it will be the first time since 1996 and 1997 it has won at least nine games in consecutive seasons.
