“Is it basketball season yet?” I guarantee you’ve heard that question after watching the North Carolina Tar Heels play football recently.
UNC is 3-4 (0-3) and barely avoiding the ACC cellar, as conference newcomer Cal is 0-4 in ACC play. North Carolina gave us initial hope, starting with consecutive wins against Minnesota, Charlotte and NC Central. The Tar Heels then lost four straight, with the ugliest game of their current streak a 70-50 thumping by James Madison.
This start hot, finish cold trend is concerning, particularly for a program with the on-field talent it has.
That’s why UNC head coach Mack Brown, who’s now in the sixth year of his second stint leading the program, is on “high alert” according to College Sports Wire.
“The second tenure in Chapel Hill started off on the right track, but the train has started coming off the rails as of late,” CWS’s Patrick Conn wrote. “The Tar Heels are losers of four straight, including a 70-50 high-scoring affair against James Madison, that started the streak after beginning the year 3-0. It isn’t just the fact that UNC has dropped four in a row, but the manner in which some of these games have ended. The Tar Heels blew games against rival Duke and Georgia Tech in two of the last three. It might be time for Mack to retire – and this time for good.”
Last year, North Carolina started 6-0 and was ranked 10th, before collapsing to finish 8-5 overall. In 2022, UNC started 9-1 before losing its final four games, including the ACC Championship against Clemson.
I love what Mack has done for the Tar Heels’ football program, but it’s time for him to enjoy the retired life.
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