Return of the Mack: Why UNC Head Coach Mack Brown Couldn’t Stay Away – Bleacher Report
Posted: September 28, 2019 at 5:42 pm
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. This is when the beautiful hell he willingly walked back into becomes real.
And this is when the promise he made his wifehow it wouldn't be so all-consuming this time aroundmust save him from the road he seems destined to travel.
"I told him it can't be like it was before," Sally Brown says.
Then North Carolina lost to Appalachian State this past weekend, and everything that felt so right for Mack Brown in his second tenure at UNC instead feels eerily familiar.
He's a coach again, all right, at 68 years young. The body is a '57 Chevy; the engine has hundreds of thousands of miles of life.
Even after what it endured not so long ago.
"It got to the point the last time, at Texas, where every loss was a tragedy and every win was exhaling," Mack says.
He looks at his wonderful wife of 26 years, the woman whose passion for renovating homes inspires him. An architect, Sally says houses will talk to you and tell you what they need.
There was no doubt what Mack needed. The only question was how to get there.
"Can't be like that again," Mack says softly, and then he says it again to no one in stern affirmation. "It just can't."
It can't be how it was two decades ago, when Brown accepted a behemoth of a job at Texas, and Darrell Royal, the legendary Texas coach of years past, told him what he was in for was like having a box of BBs spill onto the floor and the only way to make it right is to get every one back in the box in the exact same spot it started.
It can't be how it was when Brown won double-digit games in nine straight seasons, won conference championships and a national championship and played for another national title, and sonofagun if it wasn't enough.
It can't be how it was when after 16 years in the meat grinder, winning at least nine games 13 times, having two eight-win seasons and onefor the love of all things pigskin, onelosing season, it all ended when Brown's close friend chose to save his own ass over Brown's.
"The day before I resigned [at Texas], Bill Powers begged me to stay another season," Brown says of the late Texas president. "We took vacations together. We traveled together as families. We were close friends. I agreed to stay one more year, and the next morning, the new athletic director [Steve Patterson] came into my office and said, 'I need you to resign today.' Apparently Bill had changed his mind, or someone had helped him change his mind. And that was that.
"Never spoke to him again."
Five years later, this carnival of the absurd is what Mack Brown willinglyand really, eagerlysigned up for again. A business built on the ideal that only one team wins at the end of the season, and everyone else is waiting to be fired. A business that eventually sucks the life from your soul, its tentacles providing just enough give to allow you the thought of leaving, though its fuel will never stop coursing through the veins.
Just when you think you're finding a groove at your new gig, getting back-to-back upset wins over South Carolina and Miami to begin the season, along comes a gut-punch loss to Wake Forest (including a horrible officiating call to end the game) and then a shocking home loss to Appalachian State.
And before you can even begin to figure out how in the world it went from that to this, you get to host defending national champion Clemson on Saturday.
"You learn, and you move to the next week," Brown says.
He's back in coaching mode. Win or lose, you forget it and move on.
Just don't let it eat you alive like the last job.
Sally likes to tell the story of all those summer trips to North Carolina over the years, when she and Mack would hop in the car on vacation and drive from Austin to their home in North Carolina.
When they'd stop for fuel, she'd refuse to let Mack get out of the car and pay because, invariably, he'd stop to chat up someone. And when Mack stops to chat, it's like the years of growing up in east Tennessee flow out of him uncontrollably.
"He's friends with everyone," Sally says with a laugh, and there's a whole lot of truth to that joyful jab.
There's a reason Mack earned the nickname "Coach February" early on at Texas, and it had nothing to do with how the team was performing on the field (the Longhorns won nine games in each of his first three seasons, but at Texas that's not enough to earn any affection).
The nickname came from how he performed after the seasonthe way he'd relate to mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers, and to those high school stars they're protecting. And boy, can he recruit.
"Let me tell you something, if Mack Brown was in that house before you, forget it, you lose," says former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who earned a reputation as the game's best recruiter during the golden age of FSU football. "Everything else in football might have changed, but recruiting hasn't. Mack will still recruit better than anyone."
Recruiting elite players (Brown's 2020 class is ranked No. 19 by 247Sports' composite) leads to increased expectations, and in the case of the Texas job, unrealistic expectations.
By his fourth year in Austin, Brown began his run of nine straight double-digit-win seasons. The Longhorns started winning big, and the more they won, the stronger the monster grew. And the stronger the monster grew, the more Brown would stalk the sidelines with the look of a man who just swallowed a bag of knives.
"You're right," Brown admits, "I did look like that."
That's what this game does to coaches and why the grind at this level is more demanding than any other football job.
In the NFL, the game is truly a business. It's coaching and managing a salary cap and X's and O's and finding mismatches. It's an accounting sheet in which the numbers simply have to add up. In college football, it's recruiting and getting kids to go to class and massaging 100 different personalities who may or may not be fighting with their significant other or worried about their mom's gas bill that's overdue or dealing with the reality that, for the first time since Pop Warner, they're no longer BMOC.
Why in the world would anyone want to be part of this again?
"I worry about him as a brother because I just want him to be happy and healthy," says Watson Brown, Mack's older brother by two years who also spent more than four decades coaching college football. "Nothing else matters to me."
Watson stops here because this is important; this is his little brother. They were as inseparable growing up in Cookeville, Tennesseeplaying high school ball for their granddad Jelly Brownas they are now.
Mack interviewed for the Oklahoma job after the 1994 season, and he likely would've gotten it had he not pulled out. The reason he walked away: Watson was the offensive coordinator at OU, and Mack believed Watson had a chance to get the job.
"We talked many times before he took the [UNC] job," Watson says. "He's a great coach, and he's going to do it right. He goes in with a plan, he sees what's there, sees where it has to go and he doesn't deviate. He sticks to it through good and bad. That's his best trait.
"They're getting his best shot, believe me."
He tried to stay connected through analyst work on television, and that didn't work. He tried traveling for a full yearanywhere Sally wanted to go, because she put up with his job all these yearsand that didn't take, either.
He wanted back in the game, but Sally insisted any return would only happen at one of two jobs: back at North Carolina, where he coached from 1988 to 1997, or at Hawaii.
"The Hawaii job wasn't open," Mack deadpans.
More than 20 years ago, Sally designed a state of the art football-only facility at North Carolina. Every room, every square foot, had a purpose.
The cost was $50 million, and to get an idea of just how enormous that undertaking was back in the mid-1990s, understand that Clemson built a wildly hyped (see: bowling alley, player slide, etc.) football facility in 2017 for $55 million.
On the day he was supposed to move into his new office at North Carolina in 1997, Brown accepted the job offer from Texas and never got a chance to use it. More than two decades later, he sits in the office that overlooks the beautiful stadium shrouded in pine trees and marvels at an old adage.
"The more things change," Mack says, and his voice tails off.
The more it's like you've never left.
Their friends are still around. So are their doctors and those great little restaurants they loved. Rick Steinbacher was a linebacker on Mack's team, and now he's an associate athletic director at UNC.
Dre Bly, one of Brown's All-Americans from those years, now coaches cornerbacks for the Tar Heels. Tommy Thigpen, a team captain of years gone by, coaches linebackers.
"When I heard Mack was coming back, the first thing that went through my mind is, this is going to work," Bly says. "We will get elite players here. Make no mistake about that. We will win."
It took Brown all of two weeks to get 4-star quarterback Sam Howell, 247Sports' No. 1 recruit in the state of North Carolina and a player who could be Brown's most important recruit for years to come. Not only does getting Howell give UNC the chance to win now, but it also shows the rest of the players in the state that Brown is building something again.
Most of the coaches who spent all that time with Brown long ago are still around or connected to those state programs in some way. None were shocked when Brown, days after he was named coach on Nov. 26, 2018, hopped in a car and drove two-and-a-half hours south on I-85 to Monroe, North Carolina, where Howell had developed into one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks.
"Mack's going to shake things up," a coach at one of the state's top high schools tells Bleacher Report. "Hell, I'm excited about it, and I have no dog in the hunt."
Howell had been committed to Florida State for eight months. Not long after spending time with Brown, he switched his commitment to North Carolina. A week before the end of summer camp, Brown named Howell his starting quarterback. And Howell is already showing why he was such a highly regarded recruit, with nine passing touchdowns, 1,024 yards and a 64.1 completion percentage.
"Coach Brown brings it in this building every single day. Everything about him screams positivity," Howell says. "There's never an off day for him."
Brown is driving a powder-blue golf cart across the bucolic campus, waving and smiling at everyone. Students, faculty, groundskeepers.
Everybody knows Mack, everybody loves Mack.
It's a long way from the daily grind in Austin, a city Mack and Sally adore and had a harder time leaving than you might think. Mack had other job offers but never really considered any of them until UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham called and asked him to come home.
For weeks after he arrived in Chapel Hill, his new team tried to get him to dance. You know, something to break up the long, monotonous days of camp in the hot and humid North Carolina summer. When everyone is dragging through the fourth week of camp, there has to be some release. So the players jumped in cold tubs and danced and laughed and bonded.
Mack had no problem getting in those cold tubs, but dancing? If Sally can't get him on the dance floor, he sure wasn't going to randomly bust a few moves.
So he dangled a carrot: beat South Carolina in the season opener, and I'll dance.
Walking through position meeting rooms during game week, Brown eased into a corner of the defensive backs room. The DBs, the last level of run defense.
"I'm concerned that South Carolina is going to line up and run it right at us," Brown softly admitted while the group went through preparations.
South Carolina ran for 128 yards on 31 carries but never did enough damage in the run game. Two fourth-quarter touchdown drives engineered by Howell in his first game gave Brown his first victory in his second tenure at UNC and forced an uncomfortable moment in the postgame locker room.
He was dancing. All arms and very much a 21st-century version of the robot, but he was dancing, nonetheless.
"He brought life back into the room, back into the program," says UNC safety Myles Dorn. "He brought fun back to the game. Every day he chooses to have fun. It makes all the difference in the world."
It can't be like it was before. Except when it has to be.
"You ask me why I'm in this, and it's not as complicated an answer as you think," Brown says. "I love football, always have."
The golf cart stops mid-drive, and one of the game's best recruiters leans over and sells stone cold truth.
"Football isn't the drug," Brown says. "Seeing a player return to campus 20 years later with his family and he tells you, 'I'd never be where I am today without this university and this team.' That's everything.
"That's why you coach."
The rest is here:
Return of the Mack: Why UNC Head Coach Mack Brown Couldn't Stay Away - Bleacher Report
- The 10 Weight Loss Coaches to Watch in 2021 - GlobeNewswire - February 17th, 2021
- Life coach: Is it really worth the money? - cosmopolitan.com - February 17th, 2021
- Calgary's Henderson rising with Brewers in coaching life - Calgary Sun - February 17th, 2021
- First day of Spring Training gives Cardinals chance to welcome 'pitching strategist' Dusty Blake to coaching staff - KSDK.com - February 17th, 2021
- Carmelo Rodriguez Touches Lives with Moving Stories and Compelling Tales - Thrive Global - February 17th, 2021
- Life after Gronk hasn't been kind to Patriots; can they change that in 2021? - New England Patriots Blog- ESPN - ESPN - February 17th, 2021
- Stoneham mourns the loss of coach Jimmy Carino to COVID-19 - The Boston Globe - February 17th, 2021
- Roots in O-H-I-O: All current FBS head coaches with ties to Ohio State or the state of Ohio - Buckeyes Wire - February 17th, 2021
- New Patient-Centric Clinic Wraps Build in OC - HCO News - Healthcare Construction and Operations News - February 17th, 2021
- Dana Skelton, John Tanner Named Among USOPC Coaches of the Year - Swimming World Magazine - February 17th, 2021
- Where are they now? Mark Martin enjoying less competitive retirement life - NASCAR - February 17th, 2021
- Warriors Steve Kerr recalls meeting with Lute Olson that changed his life - San Francisco Chronicle - February 17th, 2021
- Inclement Weather Results in Another Postponment for Texas Tech and TCU - BCSNN - Best College Sports News Network - February 17th, 2021
- Faces of North County 2021 | Youth Life Coaching - Coast News - January 29th, 2021
- Reaction to the death of Hall of Fame coach John Chaney - USA TODAY - January 29th, 2021
- Diverse coaching backgrounds of Wes Morgan, Ryker Kreutzfeldt play crucial role in Kernel basketball rebirth - The Daily Republic - January 29th, 2021
- Bob Wright remembered as coaching icon, molder of men in Jackson community - MLive.com - January 29th, 2021
- Barnegat Coach Inducted into State Hall of Fame: Honor Extends Further - TAPinto.net - January 29th, 2021
- Giving Teens the Confidence to Thrive - Bethel University News - January 29th, 2021
- SPORTS DIGEST: Cubs, Bears and Blackhawks make moves with coaching staff, rosters - The Times of Northwest Indiana - January 29th, 2021
- Teacher of the Month: McFarland teaching, coaching about life - hays Post - January 29th, 2021
- Girls on the Run of Southwest IN Spring Coaching Opportunities - The Herald - January 29th, 2021
- Mater Dei Graduate Named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame - Herald Pubs - January 29th, 2021
- Wow! The maker scene has brought us a functional Batman grappling hook - The American Genius - January 29th, 2021
- Oregon Ducks assistant Keith Heyward leaving the program - The Register-Guard - January 29th, 2021
- Leo Gura - Growing In Times Of Crisis - January 10th, 2021
- Revere Baseball Leagues Honors the Life of Coach Kevin Cummings - Revere Journal - October 28th, 2020
- Whoop, maker of the fitness tracker that pro athletes love, is now valued at $1.2 billion - CNBC - October 28th, 2020
- Addressing the inefficiencies in the Productivity Tools - EnterpriseTalk - October 28th, 2020
- Parenting coach releasing book to help parents with teens - Your Valley - October 28th, 2020
- Local Event: Debs' Vocalist Showcase & Benefit for the Innocence Project - Patch.com - October 28th, 2020
- Coaches' Corner with Scott Smith - The Stokes News - October 28th, 2020
- Maryland University of Integrative Health's health and wellness coaching program approved by NBHWC Wall Street Call - Reported Times - October 28th, 2020
- A tip of the hat to my old football coach - Gonzales Inquirer - October 28th, 2020
- Little ready to bring the energy: Former Sierra player joins CSU Pueblo women's basketball program as assistant coach - Pueblo Chieftain - October 28th, 2020
- Nebraska had plenty of talent in 1970, but their coaches made the Huskers go the distance - Omaha World-Herald - October 28th, 2020
- Profile of An American Family in 2020: How to Pay Child Care Bills - Fatherly - October 28th, 2020
- Hutchinson High School 2020 Wall of Fame inductees share pride, achievements - Crow River Media - October 28th, 2020
- Another example surfaces of abuse of Black players by white coaches - The Undefeated - October 28th, 2020
- The Top 10 Pinterest Coaches and Strategists to Follow - GlobeNewswire - October 28th, 2020
- A financial coach who's worked with hundreds of clients says 3 things helped her build her own wealth - Business Insider - October 28th, 2020
- What Its *Really* Like to Work with a Life Coach, According to One Advertising Exec and Working Mom - PureWow - October 27th, 2020
- The NFL Head Coach Life Span And What It Means For Zimmer - Vikings Territory - October 27th, 2020
- Former Jackson-area basketball coach remembered as man of character, compassionate leader - MLive.com - October 27th, 2020
- Degrees, business and books, nothing stops this man - Eastern Arizona Courier - October 27th, 2020
- Where to Find Clarity and Relief During Life's Most Troubling Moments - WTMJ-TV - October 27th, 2020
- Robust client relationships focus on wealth and health - InvestmentNews - October 27th, 2020
- I didnt think my vote counted: Why Bradley Beal is voting for the first time - The Undefeated - October 27th, 2020
- 4 Skills that Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra Used to Go from the Dungeon to the Corner Office - Entrepreneur - October 27th, 2020
- The role of a CEO in driving diversity and change - Insurance Business NZ - October 27th, 2020
- MAKING THE JUMP: Rachel Hays set to open coaching business - Columbus Telegram - October 27th, 2020
- Colby College opens athletic and recreation center on its Waterville, Maine, campus - American School & University - October 27th, 2020
- Life coaching with Khabib: Dapper UFC star reveals he is releasing a course to teach people 'how to be a champ in life & business' - RT - September 17th, 2020
- Stroke Survivor Pivots Life Purpose to Empower Others and Embrace Their New Normal - Yahoo Finance - September 17th, 2020
- Cylient Launches Global and Collaborative Digital Learning Version of Coaching in the Moment Training - Daily Record-News - September 17th, 2020
- Remembering the life, legacy of Ed Pepple through those he impacted: SBLive Washington podcast - scorebooklive.com - September 17th, 2020
- Life Without Jimmy, Wolves Coaches Being Interviewed and Draft Talk - Zone Coverage - September 17th, 2020
- Kopping fulfills football dreams by coaching youth teams - Ashland Daily Press - September 17th, 2020
- Looking back on a life filled with basketball games and good times - Greensboro News & Record - September 17th, 2020
- Indianapolis life coach launches first emotional well-being app for and by women of color - IndyStar - September 17th, 2020
- 'It's much bigger than any of the sports we have' | Why some parents and coaches agree with youth sports ban - KSDK.com - September 17th, 2020
- Reaching Out to Others - coastalbreezenews.com - September 17th, 2020
- Mind Your Garden -- The Seeds You Plant Today Become the Realities of Tomorrow - PRNewswire - September 17th, 2020
- REVEALED: Aussie coach Doug Frost's Olympic Relay Plan That Sank The US On A Dramatic Opening Day In Sydney - Swimming World Magazine - September 17th, 2020
- Service goal: 'Improve their overall life' - Pendleton Times-Post - September 17th, 2020
- Ed Pepple, Hall of Fame Mercer Island basketball coach, dies at age 88 - Sports and Weather Right Now - September 17th, 2020
- At the heart of the matter, sister inspires Charlie Weis Jr.'s coaching climb - Notre Dame Insider - September 17th, 2020
- 30 K12 IT Influencers Worth a Follow in 2020 - EdTech Magazine: Focus on Higher Education - September 17th, 2020
- 2 women killed in U.S. 10 crash remembered for their loving ways - mlive.com - September 9th, 2020
- Need a job? Amazon seeks to fill 33,000 openings on Career Day 2020 - pennlive.com - September 9th, 2020
- Living a life of contentment | McFarland Thistle - The Cambridge News - September 9th, 2020
- Shes Using Hypnotherpay to Help Her Clients Create Change in Their Lives - The Story Exchange - September 9th, 2020
- The Remarkable Life and Times of Dr. Tom House - Sports Illustrated - September 9th, 2020
- Billy Martin needed time away after his father's death. Now, he's back coaching at Moore - Courier Journal - September 9th, 2020
- Bucs' Leonard Fournette: For the first time in my life, I really have a quarterback' - ABC Action News - September 9th, 2020
- Alton Dressel - The Daily Iberian - September 9th, 2020
- 4 Questions to Help Women Navigate the Second Half of Their Careers - Harvard Business Review - September 9th, 2020
- A Conversation With the ISU Soccer Coach - ISU Bengal Online - September 9th, 2020
- Former WNBA Player Crystal Robinson Always Wanted To Be A Coach - Sep 8, 2020 - Sports Are From Venus - September 9th, 2020
- How the Raptors 'scout team' is adjusting to life inside the NBA's bubble - The Athletic - September 9th, 2020