Last week, we discussed Mack Brown’s possible return for the 2025 season, and as of Tuesday it seems to be becoming a reality.
Pete Nakos of On3 Sports reported on Monday that sources told the site this past weekend that Mack Brown has been telling recruits that he will be returning next season. On Wednesday, though, Matt Zeintz of 247Sports reported that it's not just recurits that Brown is telling he will be back.
This shouldn’t come as much of a shock, especially with how many offers the team has been handing out between the 2025 and 2026 classes in the past couple of weeks. The hard charge that the team has made with 2025 4✮ DL Isaiah Campbell might be a more obvious sign that these reports are true and the news that he is staying could give them a legit shot to actually land this massive in-state target.
This move will also keep the bulk of this year's team in place, including quarterback Jacolby Criswell, which should allow them to be more competitive in the ACC than they were this season. This will also allow for defensive coordinator Geoff Collins to remain in place and build on the progress that he has made this season along some key pieces of this defense. Chip Lindsey and the offensive staff will have the challenge of replacing Omarion Hampton, but should still have a unit that can push to be inside the top 20 in the country again next season, especially if they make some strategic additions in the portal.
Like I said last week, in my opinion, the best thing for this Tar Heel program would have been Brown stepping down at the end of the season and turning over a program that could be in a really good spot depending on how the team finished the season. Stepping away after this season would have left 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 Tar Heel fans shouldn’t be angry about Brown returning if he is to close out the season strong. 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 is a devastating move by the program. However, a rough finish to the season could cause this fanbase to be even more disconnected than they have been for most of this season, a dangerous proposition for a football program that desperately needs the support of the fans in this era of college football.
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