Chansky's Notebook: Not Coach-Speak

Does Mack Brown like talking to the media? Sure seems like it.

The Carolina football coach must spend more time in press conferences and interviews than any of his compatriots. And he does more of it than his first stint in Chapel Hill, when he gabbed a lot but didn’t show much of himself.

On this side of COVID, Brown is back to holding a presser with attending media every Monday of game week at 11 am. Those sessions last at least 30 minutes, sometimes longer. And he is often more candid after a loss.

Brown took almost 45 minutes to go over the Georgia Tech game. He was informative, as he always is, very personal and almost cathartic. “I hate losing, it absolutely makes you sick, I just hate it,” he said.

He shouldered all the blame for the upset that has taken one notch off what still could be a special season if his Tar Heels win two more games to be unofficial state champions and earn UNC’s first ACC crown since 1980.

Brown took more than 25 questions from the media, some of whom raised their hands two or three times. He says it comes partly because he’s older and, after five years with ESPN, understands how hard of a job we have even though most of us would say it is fun work.

Without any evidence, my guess is that no other football coach in the country spends as much time explaining things and answering questions. Counting his weekly radio show, an additional Wednesday presser on Zoom, pre- and post-game interviews and press conferences, Brown speaks to writers and sportscasters at least five times a week, not counting one-off requests from regional and national media.

Usually, the more successful coaches keep it short and sweet and end it as soon as possible. Even if Brown’s media director tries to cut it off, Mack asks, “Anything else” and could stay there another 15 minutes.

This time, he almost sounded like he wanted it to be therapeutic. “You’re mad at yourself ’cause you missed it somewhere. It’s the first time I kind of felt like last year, I didn’t connect. I didn’t do a good job as a head coach. And it’s a shame when you lose to a team that basically you felt like you should have beaten.”

Brown stood up for two stars who had bad games, Drake Maye and Josh Downs. “Josh is a competitor, just like Drake, they’re two of the toughest, smartest, most-competitive kids on the team,” their head coach said. “They will both come back and fight.”

Brown said after losses he will watch tape sometimes till four in the morning. “And then on Sunday all the coaches meet at 12:30 and those are usually hard meetings, even if you win,” he said. “I’m saying what you’re all saying — why did this happen? I say to them, help me with this. We’re better than this, so come on, we gotta get this fixed. This is unacceptable.”

Assuredly, if they don’t get it fixed by Friday for N.C. State, Brown will tell us why.

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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Chansky’s Notebook: Not Coach-Speak

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