Mack Brown won't return to the UNC football program following the 2024 season

It appears that Mack Brown won't be returning to the UNC football program next season after all.

According to Inside Carolina, Mack Brown will "exit UNC" following the 2024 season. While Inside Carolina is making it seem mutual, Matt Zenitz reported that Brown has, in fact, been fired.

Brown is college football's active leader in career wins. He's worked 35 seasons as a head coach, holding the top jobs at multiple schools, including two stints with the UNC football program. He will depart the program as the all-time winnest and longest-tenure football coach at the University of North Carolina.

His second stint with the program will end after six seasons, a tenure that has had plenty of ups and downs. As the UNC football program struggled mightily at times this season, including some brutal losses to James Madison and most recently Boston College, made the rumors about Brown's future with the program even louder.

Since re-taking over as the UNC football program's head coach in 2019, Brown has amassed a 44-32 overall record and a 27-22 ACC record. These records are rather disappointing, considering the Tar Heels featured two five-star quarterbacks for five years of that span.

Bubba Cunningham released a statement regarding the news:

"Mack Brown has won more games than any football coach in UNC history, and we deeply appreciate all that he has done for Carolina Football and our University,'' Cunningham said in a statement. "Over the last six seasons – his second campaign in Chapel Hill -- he has coached our team to six bowl berths, including an Orange Bowl, while mentoring 18 NFL draft picks. He and his wife Sally have done an outstanding job supporting the Carolina community, including raising funds for UNC Children's Hospital while hosting other popular events such as the Ladies Day Clinic. Both also have been terrific in leading our program during some incredibly tough stretches, including the tragic passing of wide receiver Tylee Craft this season.

Coach Brown has led the Carolina Football program back into the national conversation as we improved the program's facilities, significantly increased the size of the staff, invested in salaries and bolstered our nutrition and strength and conditioning programs. He also has been a dedicated fundraiser, strengthening the Football endowment while also supporting our other sports programs." 

While calling for anyone's job isn't ever good, it is the right time for the UNC football program to move on. Brown did great things for the program during his two stints in Chapel Hill, but with his age and the Tar Heels inconsistency, it's time for Bubba Cunningham and the University of North Carolina to find a coach who is better suited to lead the program moving forward.