North Carolina head coach Mack Brown has words with the officials during the first half of N.C. State’s game against UNC at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.
ehyman@newsobserver.com
UNC football coach Mack Brown received a vote of confidence from the school and its athletic department on Thursday.
According to the school, Brown has been awarded a one-year contact extension through the 2028 season, extending by one year his previous contract that was set to expire in 2027.
“Mack has reenergized our program in so many ways — from the team camaraderie in the locker room, to the engaged fan base in the stands, to this season’s Coastal Division Championship and nine-win finish,’’ Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a news release.
Brown is the only active NCAA football coach who’s already a Hall of Famer. He ranks second among active coaches with 274 wins, which also places him eight on the FBS all-time list. He was the 2005 Paul W. “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year, and the 2008 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year.
“I appreciate the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Guskiewicz, Bubba Cunningham and the athletics department for continuing to invest in our football program and assisting us as we continue our rise in the ACC and on the national landscape,” Brown said in a release. “We’ve had a very successful four years across the board and we’re continuing to strive to win all the games, have as much fun as possible, and mentor young men who graduate and are better prepared for life after football. We’ve accomplished a lot and we still have so much room for improvement, so we’re looking forward to attacking this offseason and getting ready to go for the 2023 season.”
Last season was a mixed bag for Carolina. The Tar Heels were knocking on the College Football Playoff door at 9-1 before a late-season slide dropped them from contention. Still, UNC won nine games, was the ACC Coastal Division Champion, and qualified for the Holiday Bowl, the Tar Heels’ fourth consecutive bowl trip.
This story will be updated.
C.L. Brown covers the University of North Carolina for The News & Observer. Brown brings more than two decades of reporting experience including stints as the beat writer on Indiana University and the University of Louisville. After a long stay at the Louisville Courier-Journal, where he earned an APSE award, he’s had stops at ESPN.com, The Athletic and even tried his hand at running his own website, clbrownhoops.com.