RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe UNC football program knows how to produce individual NFL talent , but consistent success in the win-loss column becomes increasingly difficult to come by.
North Carolina fired Mack Brown after its 2024 campaign , which ended in a 6-7 record and sixth consecutive bowl appearance. The Tar Heels only competed for one ACC Championship during Brown's second go-round in Chapel Hill, losing 39-10 to Clemson, but they still won games under him.
UNC's first season under 8-time Super Bowl Champion Bill Belichick ? A 4-8 record. Now, just a month ahead of North Carolina's 2026 campaign, general manager Michael Lombardi is on paid leave.
If you ask CBS Sports' Danny Kannell, he thinks the Tar Heels made a bad decision firing Mack Brown, then says they'd perform better under Brown if they gave him the resources Belichick has.
UNC drastically increased the NIL spending for its football program ahead of Belichick's hiring, which includes a 5-year, $50 million contract, but those efforts severely underwhelmed in 2025. Belichick now has a full offseason under his belt, with a much-improved recruiting class on paper, but a bad 2026 may result in his last season as head coach.
UNC should've never let Mack Brown go. If they stuck with Mack Brown and gave him the resources they gave to Bill Belichick the Tar Heels would be top third of the ACC worst case. Instead they are at the bottom and probably looking for a coach in a year or two.
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) July 27, 2026 Brown coached the likes of now-NFL stars Drake Maye and Omarion Hampton during his second stint at North Carolina. The Tar Heels didn't have a single NFL Draft pick after Belichick's first year as head coach, but instead emerging stars like Melkart Abou-Jaoude and Jordan Shipp , both of whom are on the right trajectory towards an NFL career.
Coaching collegiate football is different from the NFL, despite the former becoming increasingly professionalized with NIL money and players "signing" for returns to their respective programs. This fall is a prove it year for Belichick, who still is the NFL's GOAT coach.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Danny Kanell questions UNC Football's decision to fire Mack Brown
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