The N.C. High School Athletic Association Board of Directors will gather in Chapel Hill this week for its annual winter meeting, and there are some big topics on the agenda. Please click here for more.
All posts by Cliff Barnes
University should have allowed Mack Brown to go out on his own terms
Critics of Mack Brown argue that he had to go because his up-in-the-air status was hurting recruiting and the current football team. Well, who is to blame for that? It’s easy to say the legendary UNC coach shouldn’t be back after a 6-6 record and a couple of particularly bad losses. But had Bubba Cunningham come out in support of Brown after the loss to James Madison, the recruits wouldn’t have left (or not signed with Carolina) and I argue that the current team would have finished something like 8-4.
The Carolina football program, after all, is an 8-4 program. That’s who they are. Not everyone can be a football powerhouse year in and year out. Sure, the Tar Heels may have a great season maybe one out of every four or five years, and they may go 6-6 once out of every four or five years. But this is an 8-4 program.
The big wigs who hold the purse strings wouldn’t be content with winning seasons and bowl games. The problem is, does ending a revered coach’s career – particularly as it was done – actually help the program move forward and at what cost?
The way to handle the situation is this: Come out publicly in support of Brown during the season. Work with him behind the scenes to give him a choice of coaching one more season while grooming his predecessor or allow him to retire after the season. While the season didn’t turn out like Carolina fans would like, Brown did represent the University well. Many would prefer a 7-5 record under Brown than an 9-3 record under someone like Butch Davis.
Granted, Brown didn’t lead the team to a winning record this year – but again, I suspect stability would have been worth at least one win this season. The best answer would have been to announce that Brown is retiring after next season and a particular person was being groomed to take over the following year. That allows for a smoother transition and gives players confidence that there will be some stability.
I suspect QB Max Johnson – who, had he not gotten hurt, would have led Carolina to more victories – will transfer out of North Carolina. Starting all over again is not likely to help the Tar Heels improve much next season. Perhaps they will be an ACC contender in two or three years but that could have been the case by keeping Brown and grooming someone – and there wouldn’t be this unnecessary animosity with the most decorated coach the program has had – and one that led them through well-documented tough times off the field.
(The attached photo is during better times. Head football coach Mack Brown and his wife Sally were presented with a 100 jersey and a game ball respectively after the Tar Heels defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday night. Brown became the first coach in college football history to earn 100 wins with two schools. Photo by Jeffrey A. Camarati.)
What bowl game will UNC football play in? Predictions, potential matchups for Tar Heels
UNC football is bowl eligible for the sixth time in its sixth and final season under former head coach Mack Brown, who will not coach the Tar Heels in their bowl game. The Tar Heels finished the regular season with a disappointing 6-6 record, including a 3-5 mark in the ACC. Please click here for more.
What bowl game will Duke football play in? Predictions, potential matchups for Blue Devils
Duke has won each of its last five appearances in bowl games, including victories in back-to-back seasons. Here’s a look at the latest Duke bowl projections heading into conference championship week of the 2024 season. Please click here.
Polls Snub Manny Diaz’s Surging Duke Football Team
Despite the Duke football program capping off its best regular season since 2014 and completing a 3-0 sweep over in-state ACC counterparts via its 23-17 road win over Wake Forest on Saturday, Manny Diaz’s first batch of Blue Devils (9-3, 5-3 ACC) still doesn’t have a ranking by its name. Please click here for more.
Canes’ Necas Named November First Star Of The Month
The NHL has announced that Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas was the First Star of the Month for November. Necas, 25, had seven goals and 22 points in 15 games in November which led the entire league. Please click here for more.
Panthers, Buccaneers get chippy in the tunnel at BofA Stadium after overtime
After the Panthers-Bucs game was over, more than one player apparently wanted to settle the score in the tunnel heading to the locker rooms at Bank of America Stadium. For the Panthers, it was safety Sam Franklin Jr. who had to be escorted away from where the Bucs were heading into the bowels of the stadium. Please click here for more.
Panthers star Chuba Hubbard answers for his lethal fumble in overtime loss
Chuba Hubbard is far from the singular scapegoat from the Carolina Panthers overtime loss on Sunday evening. The star running back’s overtime fumble proved costly, but in his defense, Carolina should have never needed overtime. Please click here for more.
What bowl game will NC State football play in? Predictions, potential matchups for Wolfpack
N.C. State football is bowl eligible for the fifth straight season under head coach Dave Doeren. The Wolfpack (a disappointing 6-6, 3-5 ACC) got it done in the regular-season finale, earning a 35-30 win against rival UNC in Mack Brown’s final game as coach of the Tar Heels. Please click here for more.
ACC power rankings: SMU finishes regular season on top, Miami atop Clemson
With the conference championship game set, and with 13 of the league’s programs waiting to learn their postseason fate, here’s how the ACC’s 17 teams stack up after Week 14. Duke is the highest ranked Triangle area team. Please click here for more.