The Real Truth: Would Mack Brown Leave UNC For Texas Today?

Mack Brown was the football coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from 1988 to 1997.  He was one of the most successful football coaches of all time for UNC.

The 1992 season was the start of UNC's most successful period since the Charlie Justice era in the late 1940s. Brown coached the Tar Heels to five consecutive bowl games, including UNC's only two New Year's Day bowl games in more than half a century (or three, if one counts the 1992/93 Peach Bowl, which was played the day after New Year's to avoid a conflict with the Sugar Bowl). They were ranked in the AP Top 25 every week from October 1992 through the start of the 1995 season. They finished in the final rankings in four out of five years, including two straight appearances in the top 10. They also won 10 regular-season games in 1993 and 1997—only the second and third times the Tar Heels have accomplished this. Additionally, the Tar Heels were credited with an 11th win for the 1993 season when Alabama was forced to forfeit the 1993 Gator Bowl. Largely due to Florida State joining the league in 1992, Brown was unable to win an ACC title—something the Tar Heels haven't done since 1980.

He was hired with the promise that he would not go to the University of Texas, a promise he broke in 1997.  Since then, he has become the highest paid public official, perhaps in the world.  His salary alone is over $5 million.

Looking back, which many Tar Heels fans do, Mack Brown has become what might have been.  Usually, this is based on the promise that he broke.  But in reality, the ACC and North Carolina have never gained the prominence that Texas had and still has today.

For at least three reasons, Tar Heel fans should get over their long held attitudes toward Brown.  He is making more than he ever could have at UNC given the UNC administration's position on sports.  Texas may always exceed North Carolina in football.  And the ACC has not had the same caliber of competition as the conferences in which Texas has been a member.

Yet there is one question that does exist today.  Will the ACC better the Big 12 (or whatever it will be named)?

Only time will tell.  But the Real Truth is that there are reasons to believe that the ACC is going to do so, absent lasting marks against UNC because of the on-going investigation.