Where Mack Brown ranks on CBS Sports’ list of top coaches in ACC
North Carolina head coach Mack Brown is entering his fifth season in the second tenure with the Tar Heels and he’s hoping that 2023 can be a special year in Chapel Hill.
Coming off a season in which UNC started 9-1 before losing four-straight games including the Atlantic Coast Coast Championship, the Tar Heels have some questions surrounding the roster. Yes, they do get Drake Maye back as well as some talent on defense but there are a lot of new faces in the mix as well.
However, coaching could be the ultimate factor in whether or not UNC finds success.
CBS Sports’ Will Backus released his rankings for the best coaches in the ACC going into this season. Brown landed at No. 4 in the conference and No. 22 in college football:
Mack Brown (22 overall): It is hard to assess where things really stand with modern Mack Brown. He is one of a few active coaches with a national championship to his name, and he has a Heisman Trophy candidate in Drake Maye leading his offense at quarterback. The Tar Heels even made it to the ACC Championship Game last season, their first appearance since 2015. But that came after a four-game skid to end the regular season, including a loss to a four-win Georgia Tech team that had an interim coach. North Carolina’s defense looked hapless at times, and Brown’s decision to stick with defensive coordinator Gene Chizik seems questionable. That unit’s improvement determines North Carolina’s ceiling. Last year: 4 in the ACC
The ranking is a fair one for Brown who has led UNC to four-straight bowl games in his second tenure. However, there have been some questionable coaching decisions along the way and UNC’s record is 1-3 in those games.
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