Mack Brown's return from retirement in 2019 to lead North Carolina provided an underachieving program with a strong connection to its past and a chance at a brighter future.
The Hall of Fame coach engineered an initial surge, getting UNC to the Orange Bowl and a No. 18 AP finish in his second season. Brown upgraded recruiting and oversaw the development of productive quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye. He made bowl games every season, but the breakthrough both he and the Tar Heels hoped for never really came. Although Brown, 73, remained energetic, his age and ability to effectively lead the program became an annual question. Despite announcing his intention Monday to return in 2025, he was fired the following day.
He is 44-32 in his second stint at North Carolina, far from his first, when he recorded AP top 10 finishes in his final 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 plusses and minuses. North Carolina is the flagship school in a state with plenty of high school talent. The program has increased its investment in football and has a very recognizable brand. But UNC always will be a basketball school, and the extended stretch without elite success could make some candidates think twice. Although veteran athletic director Bubba Cunningham will probably consider coaches from varied backgrounds, he might want to emphasize defense, given the program's continued struggles on that side of the ball.
Here are eight potential options for Cunningham to consider as Brown's replacement.
