LAHAINA, Hawaii — Bubba Cunningham, the athletics director at North Carolina, announced that Mack Brown’s last day as the Tar Heels’ football coach will be Sunday, following their regular-season finale against NC State on Saturday.
Regardless of the outcome of their bowl game, Brown will not coach during that contest, Cunningham shared with Inside Carolina. He indicated that as he searches for Brown’s successor, he expects the current assistant football coaches to remain in their roles for now.
“I anticipate that the assistant coaches and staff will stay through the bowl game,” Cunningham noted on Wednesday. “I’ll meet with the staff on Sunday, and Mack will officially step down that day. We agreed on this following the news of his departure, so we’re moving forward with that plan.”
Cunningham spoke to IC just before Thanksgiving while attending the Maui Invitational, where the UNC men’s basketball team is playing. Just days earlier, he was over 5,000 miles away at the football team’s loss to Boston College, where the Tar Heels fell 41-21, trailing significantly until the final minutes. He then traveled to Hawaii for the basketball tournament.
The 73-year-old Hall of Fame coach Brown is the all-time winningest coach at UNC, holding the longest tenure in program history and ranking first nationally among active coaches with 288 career victories. Only legendary coaches like Nick Saban and Joe Paterno have more wins in FBS history.
Brown initially served as head coach at Chapel Hill from 1988 to 1997, rebuilding the program before moving on to Texas, where he led the Longhorns to a national championship in 2005. After retiring, he returned to UNC in November 2018 at the age of 67, a move requested by Cunningham. Over the past six seasons, Brown has maintained a 113-78-1 record with the Tar Heels, including a 44-32 overall record and 27-22 in the ACC in his second tenure.
Cunningham revealed that his search for a new coach began on Tuesday after UNC announced Brown wouldn’t return for the next season, contradicting Brown’s earlier intentions to stay. Cunningham had hoped Brown would announce his retirement on Friday, prior to the NC State game, framing it as a farewell at Kenan Stadium. However, when Brown chose not to follow that path, Cunningham felt compelled to make a difficult decision.
“I believed it was best for our program and our players to have clarity regarding 2025 by making an announcement on Friday. It would provide a fitting send-off for Mack and his wife Sally, with a great performance against State to honor them at the stadium,” Cunningham explained. “Since we couldn’t align on a resolution, I had to make a tough choice.”
Brown’s $ 2.8 million buyout will be paid quarterly according to the terms of his contract, which runs until January 15, 2028.
The Tar Heels began this season with a 3-0 record but faced a major setback on September 21, suffering a 70-50 defeat at home to James Madison. Following that loss, Brown’s emotional speech in the locker room led many present, including players and university officials, to believe he might resign, according to multiple sources.
In the aftermath of that incident, Brown apologized extensively to the team, athletic director Bubba Cunningham, and the new university chancellor, Lee Roberts. When asked by Inside Carolina if the James Madison game was the turning point that led to Brown’s firing, Cunningham described it as a significant moment of reflection for the leadership.
“It certainly made us rethink things that we hadn’t considered before,” Cunningham stated. “I wouldn’t exactly label it a breaking point, but it definitely shifted our perspective.”
On Tuesday, Inside Carolina reported four potential candidates for the coaching position. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor later confirmed that Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a former UNC offensive lineman, has had initial discussions with the Tar Heels regarding the head coaching vacancy.
Cunningham mentioned that he has received numerous inquiries since the decision to part ways with Brown. In fact, when Inside Carolina approached him on Wednesday, he was on the phone and had a hoarse voice, likely from cheering during the high-energy Maui Invitational basketball games.
“I’d love to snap my fingers and have this wrapped up,” Cunningham said when asked if expediency is a priority in the coaching search. “But it’s far more crucial to get it right than to rush it.”
Regarding the key factors in UNC’s search for a new coach, Cunningham said, “Mack has positioned us for long-term success with investments in facilities, salaries, and the endowment. All these aspects are excellent. As with any job—though it’s a cliché—it comes down to fit. What do we need at this moment? We’ve had a Hall of Fame coach who has brought us close to the top of the league.”
He added, “With NIL, the transfer portal, and upcoming revenue sharing changes, we need to consider what the landscape of college athletics looks like and who is best suited to lead our coaches and players to success. It may sound cliché, but it’s accurate.”
Considering these factors, Cunningham shared his thoughts on what qualities might be essential for a suitable fit for the Tar Heels:
“I’m not sure who the ideal candidate is,” he said. “But having creativity and adaptability is vital. You need to understand that the environment is different now, whether you’ve been part of it for a long time or are entering it for the first time.
“We’ve discussed this with Hubert (Davis), Erin Matson, and Mack. The situation varies across different schools and sports, but we’re seeing more transitions and turnover among coaches and players. It’s essential to be comfortable in this dynamic environment, knowing that the next three to five years may still be uncertain.”
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