Mack Brown’s media presence is burying other Big 4 schools.
When UNC named Mack Brown as head football coach in November of 2018, there were hopes that he could resurrect recruiting in the state of North Carolina and increase slumping season ticket sales.
But the media attention that he attracted from day one and still continues was an added bonus the Tar Heels weren’t counting on. Turns out being out of coaching for five years and on ESPN’s College GameDay every week made Brown a bigger star than he was at Texas.
Are you as amazed as I am at how many times Brown pops up in stories somewhere on the web and in the blogosphere? Granted, UNC is blowing other schools away with its revamped social media presence, but its quotable national icon coach is the main attraction.
The two news feeds on my phone are from Google and something called Newsbreak that I have no idea from where. But rarely does a day pass when a story on Carolina football and Mack Brown do not pop up. Honestly, I haven’t seen one story on David Cutcliffe since the 2019 season ended and only one on Dave Doeren.
What makes it even worse for rival schools is the Last Dance documentary on Jordan and the Bulls has averaged about 15 related stories a day. Brown was quoted in one story that other coaches accuse him of getting the NBA GOAT and Carolina alum to move the series up so it hit during the dead period in football recruiting.
Mack shares the Zoom conference stage with his coaching staff and star players, which gives the Tar Heels even more coverage. Last week it was Brown, this week assistant Dre Bly.
The constant coverage has moved the Tar Heels into the lead paragraphs on national stories about the 2021 recruiting class, which has Carolina rated at No. 3. It doesn’t hurt that Roy Williams’ incoming class has moved up to No. 2 in the country, while Anson Dorrance is first or second in most polls, and Courtney Banghart is in the top ten.
It is contagious, and with plenty of spare time for sports fans to scour the news reports, many are coming up Carolina Blue and Brown.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe:
Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Brown's BlemishMack Brown is overdue to get his first win ever over Florida State. Perhaps the only glaring blemish on the record of the nation’s winningest active college football coach is 0-9 against Florida State. And while that looks bad, here are the mitigating circumstances. When Brown was the head coach at Tulane in the 1980s, […]
Chansky's Notebook: Fork In The RoadArt Chansky looks back at the head coaching butterfly effect caused by UNC football's upset win against No. 4 Miami at Kenan Stadium in 2004.
Chansky's Notebook: 'No. 3, Get in the Game'Of the 23 football games Notre Dame and Carolina have played over the years, there is nothing that matches 1975, when an unknown quarterback came off the bench to save the Irish from what would have been an embarrassing upset in Kenan Stadium. I was covering for the Durham Morning Herald and wanted to watch […]
Chansky's Notebook: Hurricane HappinessWith the potential for rain Saturday when UNC hosts No. 3 Notre Dame, Art Chansky remembers a rain-aided upset win for the Tar Heels.
Chansky's Notebook: Snap DecisionsArt Chansky says it may be time for Bill Belichick and UNC to make a change at the quarterback position following Saturday's loss at Clemson.
Chansky's Notebook: Maye's MissionWith an upgraded receiver room and a massive target on his back, Drake Maye is poised for a hugely important 2026 campaign.
Chansky's Notebook: Fool Me Once...Little Kool-Aid will be consumed by Carolina fans before the noon kickoff from Dublin. Fool me once but not again. It is a great trip to Ireland for the Tar Heels fans who bought the plane tickets and hotel rooms to tour the Emerald Isle and see if their team is any better than Bill […]
Chansky's Notebook: Getting Filthy Rich-erThere are seven teams with $40 million plus rosters and five others just behind the tally from college football as the 2026 season begins. The SEC leads payrolls (LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee), with four from the Big Ten (Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and USC), one from the ACC (Miami) and […]
Chansky's Notebook: Power to the People!Wednesday's announcement of a two-year, two-game series between UNC and NC State in Greensboro sent a clear message.
Chansky's Notebook: The Five StagesChapelboro's Michael Koh breaks down the stunning news of Seth Trimble's commitment to Louisville via the transfer portal.
›
