Mack Brown did not retire but he was fired. Yes! He was fired. The university’s bold move has left the football world stunned. All this happened in a span of minutes, and it was more devasting because Brown announced that he would return for another year with the Tar Heels. Now this big news left the University of Tulane in big trouble. But how?

Head coach Jon Sumrall is making headlines after Brown is fired. Is he going to join the Tar Heels and make Tualne pay serious expenses after ending their playoff hopes? It looks like Sumrall is the top candidate to step in as head coach for North Carolina.

On November 28 in the “The Audible” podcast, Bruce Feldman, a college football beat writer, highlighted that Samrall has a high chance of replacing Brown and said, “From this search. I made some calls from some industry sources. And to me, if they can get Jon Sumrall from two Tulane. It should be a slam dunk. I think he’s a terrific coach. He killed it. At Tulane. Got that program going 2-4. Stepped in a Tulane. They’re 9-2, the one part of this.”

Sumrall has had a successful career at Tulane and the university would not like him leaving. In the past two years, the university has won 23 games under his guidance. In his first year at the university, he led them to the American Athletic Conference championship game. And guess what? This season Green Wave has outperformed and now they are standing at a 9-3 record, which is not bad at all. And that is the hefty price they will face if Sumrall leaves them, as they are out of playoff contention.

But is he alone putting Tulane’s future at risk? No, because Chir Vannini college football analysts revealed that, “Not only is Tulane HC Jon Sumrall a name to watch for UNC, but Tulane OC Joe Craddock has gotten a lot of attention for several open Power 4 OC jobs.” Now that is going to be a big problem. If Sumrall and Carddock both leave together, Tulane will suffer a lot. This big news after week 13 is more disappointing after their impressive back-to-back two years.

Well, UNC is not the only one who wants Sumrall in their university; he is a well-rounded candidate who is known for defensive strategies, his recruiting skills, and his strong leadership qualities. He was the finalist for the Mississippi State job but Jeff Lebby is now finalized as the final candidate. At the same time, if Mark Stoops steps down, there are high chances UNC will have tough competition. However, time will reveal what the offseason will bring for Tualne. Till then, let’s take a look at Brown’s achievements.

Mack Brown’s achievements: 1973 to 2024

Many could not digest that North Carolina fired Mack Brown. Brown holds a significant position as head coach. In 2018, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and in 2005; he won a national championship with Texas. Sadly, this season was his last, as he is all set to retire.

The success did not come to him overnight. He started as a graduate assistant at Florida State. Appalachian State is the first university he joined as a head coach.  Brown’s coaching career is marked by significant milestones and achievements. One of his early achievements came during his tenure at Tulane. He led the Green Wave to its fifth bowl appearance in 40 years. Now that is huge! Then, on December 16, 1987, he was named as the head coach at North Carolina when he was 36 years old. And since then he has not looked back. In 1988, on October 22, Brown secured his first victory at UNC by defeating Georgia Tech 20-17. People can’t believe he was fired because he built UNC in depth.

His best time as a coach was with Texas; not because he won the national championship, the university helped him achieve remarkable success as he led them to nine consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins from 2001 to 2009. This included the perfect 13-0 record in 2005. His coaching career began in 1973 and he is among the very few coaches who have served for more than 50 years. Although his career might not end the way he wanted, his legacy will be remembered forever.

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