Mack Brown’s stock slips dramatically in coach rankings

Has anyone ever told you to stop reminiscing on past successes?

New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys fans do that all the time. Doc Rivers won one NBA championship[, but he has been a proven playoff choker since.

One coach who can join this list is current UNC football boss Mack Brown. He coached at North Carolina from 1988-1997, left and won the 2005 BCS National Championship with Texas , then returned to Chapel Hill with hopes of championship success.

Instead, Brown’s Tar Heel teams have shown a penchant for cooling off after hot starts, particularly in recent years. Last year was arguably the greatest collapse since Brown’s return – starting 6-0, then finishing 8-5.

With all the talent Brown has failed to utilize, such as Drake Maye and Devontez Walker last season, he slipped 15 spots – to 37th –in CBS Sports’ college football coach rankings.

“When Brown returned to North Carolina ahead of the 2019 season, he was a top-10 coach due to having won a national title at Texas,” Tom Fornelli wrote. “His stock has dropped every season since, and he tumbled all the way out of the top 25 this year. Brown is 38-27 in his second stint with the Tar Heels, which isn’t terrible, but when you look at the talent the Heels have had at QB in that time and how open the Coastal had been while it existed, you’re left with the feeling the results should’ve been better.”

This year might be a bit of a challenge for Brown, who’s dealing with an almost entirely new quarterback room and wide receiver group.

If UNC doesn’t win a bowl game or finish .500, though, I think Brown is shown the door.

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