Mere days after legendary coach Mack Brown left the door open to a return in 2025, North Carolina football slammed it shut. UCN announced Tuesday Brown would not be returning after 2024, ending his second tenure after six years and 16 total years in Chapel Hill.

Brown as recently as Monday said he planned to return next season, but Bubba Cunningham, the UNC athletic director, informed Brown later Monday that “he will not return as head coach.”

The North Carolina Tar Heels have fired head coach Mack Brown, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of 247Sports. The news has been confirmed by Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde. North Carolina formally announced Brown's impending departure in an official statement on Tuesday morning.