An ESPN return may be the only option for Mack Brown after the firing

Mack Brown had told people he planned to be the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach beyond this season.

But the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had other ideas.

A day after confirms his intentions to continue as North Carolina’s head coach beyond the 2024 season, the 73-year-old Brown was relieved of his duties. The school issued a statement On Tuesday, he said Brown would not be back for another season but would coach the team’s final regular-season game against NC State this coming Saturday.

A decision on whether Brown will coach an upcoming Bowl Game has not been made.

No decision has been made on Brown’s future either. But if his recent comments are any indication, he doesn’t want to stop training and may not stop working. The problem for Brown is that it’s hard to see a program hiring a 73-year-old head coach, no matter what his resume might say.

Brown spent five years at ESPN after retiring from the University of Texas. He returned to coaching in 2018, returning to Chapel Hill, where he had previously served as head coach from 1988-1997. He helped breathe life back into a program that had struggled under Larry Fedora’s leadership.

After some notable recruiting wins and the transformation of Sam Howell and Drake Maye into NFL Draft prospects, Brown struggled to push the Tar Heels to the next level. Heading into the final game, the program’s inconsistency became undeniable as it sits 12th in the ACC with a record of 6-5 and 3-4 in the conference.

Sure, the loss of quarterback Max Johnson for the season didn’t help, but it wasn’t the only problem.

In an odd moment earlier this season, Brown even offered to resign in the locker room after a disappointing 70-50 loss to James Madison. But instead of stepping aside, he returned to the helm after the players took ownership of the defeat.

He chose to move on; the university did not.

So what does this mean for his future?

UNC’s opening is now the most attractive — and the only Power Four — opening on the market. While programs like Fresno State, Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss, Utah State, Charlotte, Temple, Central Michigan, Ball State, UMass and Kennesaw State are also looking for a new head coach, it’s hard to imagine Brown moving down to one that doesn’t -Power Four programs at this stage of his career.

In today’s climate, it’s a two-way street. Despite his impressive resume, it’s hard to imagine a lower-level program investing in a 73-year-old who could retire at any given time, especially when those programs are already fighting an uphill battle in the NIL – era.

If a team wanted Brown to act as a bridge between now and a future head coach, that could work, but it’s not exactly a sell to recruits. Why would a player commit to a program like Charlotte knowing that their future coach might retire before they even get their chance to play under him?

It just doesn’t make sense.

What does make sense, though, is a return to ESPN. He wouldn’t be the only former head coach back in the booth, as Dan Mullen and Steve Addazio, among several others, have made that transition. And for Mack Brown, it might just be the perfect way to close out his career.

But it might just be his only option.

While at ESPN during his coaching hiatus, Brown’s primary role was with the ABC studio team alongside Kevin Negandhi and Jonathan Vilma. He was also part of a broadcast team with Adam Amin and Molly McGrath, which was an underrated trio, although there was one time he left Amin solo.

Ultimately, Brown was replaced by Mark Sanchezwho joined Negandhi and Vilma in the studio.

Given his close relationship with Negandhi, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brown return to the studio alongside SportsCenter anchor and Booger McFarland at halftime or even step in as a color analyst for select games.

Negandhi and McFarland are a solid duo, but after five seasons on the sidelines in a new era of college football, Brown’s insight could take their halftime show to the next level.

Of course, it takes two to tango and it remains to be seen whether either side would be interested in this reunion, but it presents itself as the best option for a 73-year-old who doesn’t seem to want to be done with football just yet .

And if nothing else, it gives Mack Brown a chance to go out on his own terms.