Pete Thamel expects multiple Big Ten, SEC head coaches to attempt to replace Mack Brown at UNC

Mack Brown recently announced his intentions to stay at North Carolina for at least another season but decision makers in Chapel Hill had other ideas. UNC fired Brown on Tuesday, ending the Hall of Fame coach’s second stint with the program. Somebody new is needed to guide the Tar Heels through a new era of college football.

So who could replace Brown this offseason? A few names have already been floated out there. But ESPN’s Pete Thamel expects there to be interest from current head coaches in the Big Ten and SEC. Thamel sites going up against ACC competition compared to competing against top teams in the other two conferences.

“What’s next for UNC is they immediately become the hottest job on the market,” Thamel said. “It’s hard to overstate how much interest there will be. I expect coaches from the Big Ten and SEC to kick their tires on the job. The power has coalesced at the top in those two leagues. A good job, like UNC, playing against ACC competition, it would be attractive to coaches.”

Not too often do you see power conference coaches leave for other jobs. But there might be a belief that winning at North Carolina in the ACC might be an easier task. There is certainly history of success and a direct path to the College Football Playoff by winning a conference championship.

To this point, no specific names from the Big Ten or SEC have been named. Most are about to wrap up their 2024 regular seasons on Saturday. The coaching carousel usually begins to spin around then. And UNC appears to be quite an attractive landing destination.

On3’s Andy Staples has put together a North Carolina hot board, with multiple big-time names being included. The latest is an NFL assistant coach, potentially returning to Chapel Hill after nearly two decades.