Only five days before the final week of the regular season, North Carolina became the first power conference school to enter the market. Legendary coach Mack Brown will not be retained in 2025, clearing the way for UNC to be by far the top option on the market for prospective candidates.

Brown as recently as Monday said he planned to return next season, but Bubba Cunningham, the UNC athletic director, informed Brown later Monday that “he will not return as head coach.”

Mere days after legendary coach Mack Brown left the door open to a return in 2025, North Carolina football slammed it shut. UCN announced Tuesday Brown would not be returning after 2024, ending his second tenure after six years and 16 total years in Chapel Hill.