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Carolina looks like it could be in a crisis of management.
Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz is under pressure from the conservative state legislature and Board of Governors, which controls the UNC Board of Trustees and its long-liberal campus. He is mulling over an offer to become the new president at Michigan State, which has its own institutional issues.
Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham has been approached for other college administrative positions and may not be a Carolina lifer. He and football coach Mack Brown are said to be in a power struggle of their own, which could determine the future of football and perhaps Bubba’s successor, if one is needed.
UNC is not unlike schools that have their own problems of leadership, faculty, curriculum, student conduct and fund-raising. But, for alumni and the athletic fan base, it’s critical to double down on what UNC stands for.
Football is in the bullseye now after a third straight loss to N.C. State, which built a very good program in a different way. Alumni should think less about what happened on the field and more about what came after the game.
State plays hard-nosed football, no question about it, and the Tar Heels can take a lesson from that. But players and coaches from one team should never compare their culture to another program they know very little about.
And while Brown’s CEO and “40 Year commitment” style of coaching can reflect on how hard his teams play, you will never hear him call opposing kids vulgar names that encourages hatred in a society rife with it in recent years.
Brown came out of retirement to resurrect football here for a second time. And while he has miraculously filled the stadium and has more wins than losses, it may be time for him to step down with input but no intrusion into any hires.
Athletic decisions can be influenced, to an extent, by administrators, alumni and donors, but the chancellor and athletic director must have final say. We have seen what happened when the Trustees took over that process almost 20 years ago, and football’s record since then was under .500 until Brown returned.
If we do lose a chancellor, athletic director, fund-raiser and/or coach, promoting from within like Dean Smith favored isn’t always the answer. The Trustees have learned by now that their job is to pick a reputable search firm and interview the best candidates, wherever they come from. Taking care of loyalists does not always yield great results.
Football has a lower bar here than many Power 5 schools. Setting high expectations only works by beating the teams you are supposed to beat. That has gotten Brown into his current jam, and he cannot talk his way out of it.
He’s had NFL quarterbacks for his five years back, and even a 17-8 record the last two regular seasons doesn’t look so good when examining some of those wins and losses. Mack and/or Bubba must fix that to unify the confidence and backing they need now.
Featured image via UNC/Johnny Andrews
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Well said!