Prospects react to Mack Brown’s reported desire to return in 2025

Mack Brown has been coaching football since the early 1970s and he’s six years into his second stint at North Carolina. He’s won of only three active head coaches in the FBS that have won a national championship, doing so at Texas nearly 20 years ago, and he will turn 74 years old at the start of next football season.

And according to numerous reports – along with what he and the coaching staff are telling recruits – Brown has no plans to retire after this season.

“I haven’t heard anything about it yet,” three-star defensive back commit Javion Butts said. “I’m expecting him to stay at this point.”

It’s not only Brown’s age that has piqued the interest around the North Carolina job.

Earlier this season after a 70-50 loss to James Madison, Brown said something to the effect in the locker room that he would step down if he was the issue in the Tar Heels’ struggles.

The North Carolina players seemed to rally around Brown, who clarified his statements at a later news conference and has since stayed steadfast that he would keep coaching the team for the remainder of this season and beyond.

Brown essentially told the same thing to three-star receiver commit Evan Haynes from Roswell (Ga.) Fellowship Christian School when the two had a discussion about the future as Georgia Tech and others are looking to flip him.

“He has told me there is no plan to leave and it has been something that we have talked about because you hear all the different stuff in the media,” Haynes said.

“I’m excited to have him as my coach and to learn from him and the rest of his amazing staff.”

One part of the issue would be losing a coach with the resume of Brown, one of the best in the business for a long time. The other consideration is the recruiting class.

North Carolina only has 11 commitments total in 2025 after a late October run of players going elsewhere with four-star tight end Marshall Pritchett flipping to Alabama, four-star linebacker Anthony Kruah going to Georgia and three-star tight end Logan Farrell staying home and playing for Illinois.

Those decommitments are understandable. Only having 11 commits is not unless the Tar Heels are reserving a whole lot of space for transfer portal additions as they’re currently second-to-last in the ACC team recruiting standings ahead of only Louisville, which has utilized the portal well.

There could be at least one other departure as four-star Alex Payne from Gainesville, Ga., is seriously looking at USC despite assurances from the North Carolina staff that Brown is coming back to Chapel Hill.

“I spoke to my position coach (Randy Clements) and he was telling me they are sticking around for next season but I’ve already been considering other programs,” Payne said.

Either way, after a four-game losing streak in late September through mid-October, it looked like the writing was on the wall for Brown’s future.

But the Tar Heels have won three straight to get to 6-4 with games against Boston College and NC State left.

With a strong finish – or not – Brown could be back for more.