Heading into the Tar Heels first bye week, it seemed impossible to see a scenario where Mack Brown would be returning for the 2025 season, especially after he threatened to step away and took time to think about it after the James Madison loss. However, just a few weeks later, the feelings around this Tar Heel team have changed dramatically after a two-game winning streak where the team won back-to-back conference games by 20 or more for the first time since 2016. With three very winnable games remaining on the schedule, questions are emerging about whether or not there is a path for Brown to be the man in charge for one more season.
The case for Brown to stay starts with getting back to eight wins. Winning three out of the last four certainly seems to be on the table with the schedule, but one of them has to be the NC State game. A fourth straight loss to the Wolfpack would be too hard to overlook, even if the team was to get to that eight-win mark. If he can reach that win total and beat the Wolfpack along the way, he will have done what we have been asking him to do.
The rest of the case to keep him around is based on stability. His return would keep this young roster together, which would allow for this team to compete to finish near the top of the conference in a season where their schedule is set to be much more daunting. His return would also ensure that the program would be able to keep their current recruiting class together and hopefully allow them to hold on to their quarterback of the future, Bryce Baker.
While there is a case for him to return, there is still a pretty strong one in favor of him retiring at the end of the season. It’s no secret that Brown has had issues getting this team in the right mindset to win the games that they are supposed to win, such as the game against James Madison that caused him to ask himself if he was no longer the right guy to lead this program. The struggles that he and the staff have had on the recruiting trail this year could also be a sign that the program might need a younger coach who recruits know will have a chance of still being there for their entire careers. The fact that he was even considering stepping away earlier this season makes you wonder if he has already made the decision, something that could certainly have been aided by the passing of Tylee Craft.
So the question is, what should happen? Honestly, the best thing for this Tar Heel program moving forward is that Brown steps down at the end of the season and turns over a program that could be in a really good spot depending on how the team finishes the season. Stepping away after this season would leave the new coach with a solid cupboard of guys who could keep the team competitive in Year 1 and set them up for more immediate success. With that being said, if Brown were to return following a strong finish, Tar Heel fans shouldn’t be angry about it. The one thing that we have been asking Brown to do since he got here was to close a season out strong and getting to eight or nine wins and beating NC State would certainly accomplish that. It’s also hard to argue that keeping a guy who would have won eight or more games nine times in his sixteen years on the Tar Heel sideline would be a devastating move by the program..
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