North Carolina’s regular season came to an end on Saturday night at the hands of NC State, ending the second Mack Brown era in disappointment.
But when one door closes, another opens and the coaching search is officially underway for Bubba Cunningham and the athletics department. There have ben names rumored to be on North Carolina’s list early in this process and more will be added as time goes on. However, one of those names is no longer being considered.
Per Ian Rapoport, former North Carolina guard and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith told the program he does not want to be considered for the vacant job.
Arthur Smith’s alma mater is going to have to wait.
The Steelers offensive coordinator, who had been under consideration for the position of new head football coach at the University of North Carolina, is staying with Pittsburgh and will be there for the foreseeable future.
Smith recently informed UNC that he should not be considered a candidate, sources say.
North Carolina announced on Nov. 26 that legendary coach Mack Brown would not return for the 2025 season. The 73-year-old, in his second stint with the school, lost, 35-30, against N.C. State on Saturday to finish the season 6-6.
There are a few things to note here. Smith will likely get interviews in the NFL for a head coaching job, so there’s no rush on his end to commit to a job right away.
For the Tar Heels, they want to move quickly and find the best hire that they can. They don’t want to wait until the NFL coaching cycle to find their guy as it would put a damper on recruiting and preparation for next season.
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