Just over two decades after Mack Brown left North Carolina to take the Texas job, he was tabbed to again rebuild the Tar Heels program at 67 years old back in 2019.
Many figured Mack would get the program back on track and then be ready to hand the reigns to someone else, but not only has he led the Tar Heels to bowl appearances every season heading into his sixth year back in Chapel Hill, but he's excelled and won eight games twice (2020 and 2023) and nine games once (2022) during that span.
Selected to the College Football Hall of Fame back in 2018, Brown is set to turn 73 just before their season opener this fall, and as the oldest current head coach in college football he's heard all the negative recruiting that tends to be directed at head coaches his age.
At ACC Media Day yesterday, he had a line for the ages regarding exactly that.
"Every coach recruiting against us says I'm going to quit, and all six of them have been fired that said that already."
"So they ought to be worried about themselves."
Brown is 107-73-1 in his two stints leading the Tar Heels, including a 38-27 mark with one top 25 finish at season's end since taking over in 2019.
With new defensive coordinator (and former Temple and Georgia Tech head coach) Geoff Collins now on staff running the defense, Mack returns offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey for a third season with former Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens in his second season as the team's run game coordinator and tight ends coach.
The Tar Heels open the year with a road trip to take on PJ Fleck and Minnesota August 29.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.