Paul Finebaum reacts to UNC's loss to JMU and reports that Mack Brown said he would resign

It was a long Saturday for North Carolina and head coach Mack Brownwhen the Tar Heels scored 70 points in a loss to James Madison. Then, after the game ended, it was reported that Brown told the Tar Heels team that he would leave if things weren't made right.

In response to these comments and the surprise loss, analyst Paul Finebaum responded to the situation Mack Brown now finds itself in. The Matt Barrie Show.

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“I’m going to get in trouble here because one of my greatest television experiences was when I was with you and Mack Brown on Sunday morning SportsCenter,” Paul Finebaum said. “He's one of the great people, but Mack, if you lose to JMU, don't joke about walking away because your fans will take you seriously and hope you follow his example.”

Shortly after news first broke that Mack Brown had told the UNC locker room he was going for broke, ESPN's Chris Low reported that Brown would return to work on Sunday and would not leave. However, as he enters the sixth year of his second tenure at UNC, there are many concerns.

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“I’m not going to tell Mack Brown what to do because he is loved by his athletic director … I have Bubba Cunningham “I keep telling myself, 'I'm lucky to have Mack Brown as my coach,'” Finebaum said. “Well, I'm not so sure that's true anymore, because he does that every year. He throws a game away. I don't know enough about JMU to say they don't deserve respect. They probably do. I know they've been a big-name program for a long time, but that should never happen and that doesn't happen with programs that are at the high level that Mack Brown should have this Tar Heel program at.”

At this point, Matt Barrie pointed out that Mack Brown's words may have reflected his honest feelings in that moment and were not a joke, as Paul Finebaum had previously suggested. However, he also emphasized that once that honesty is made public, it remains unbearable for a coach.

“That's the state of college football coverage. Everything that happened becomes part of the narrative. If they had beaten JMU, none of us would care until they get to the bigger games on the schedule. I don't know what's going on with Mack Brown. He redeemed himself after Texas fired him. He took North Carolina to the brink. They were about to break through and become a real power,” Finebaum said.

“When you're his age, people look at you a little more cynically, like: What's going on? That's what he's in the middle of.”

Since his second tenure at UNC, Mack Brown has produced many NFL talents, including players like Drake May. He has also compiled a record of 41-28 since 2019, so there have been positives. However, the loss to JMU and the ongoing issues on defense are a blow to the team.

“The only good news is he has a little more relaxed fan base than maybe Auburn or somebody else who has late-night meetings,” Finebaum said. “I mean, he's got to clean that up, and he's got to clean it up fast.”

Mack Brown and UNC look to bounce back next week when they play rival duke.