ACC Power Rankings: did UNC hire the right App State coach?
The only way North Carolina could have gotten off to a better start (or re-start) under Mack Brown is if he had invented a time machine.
By Saturday night, the Tar Heels and their 68-year-old “first-year coach” were the toast of the ACC.
There was the thrilling comeback win over South Carolina in Charlotte. There was the emotional on-field interview on ESPN, followed by the jubilant locker-room dancing on every social media site.
Those viral moments earned the UNC football program more goodwill, and national juice, than anything it had done in the previous three years. But by Monday night, when Louisville scored on its first two possessions in an eventual loss to Notre Dame, it was fair to ask if UNC had hired the right former Appalachian State coach?
There’s no doubt in the short term, Brown is the right answer for UNC. After Larry Fedora lost 20 of his final 25 games, fan apathy had reached a point where UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham needed to do something to make the program relevant.
Brown, who got his first head-coaching job in Boone in 1983 and built a top-10 program in Chapel Hill before he left for Texas in 1997, provided the perfect nostalgic blast to Rams Club boosters to make Fedora’s $12 million buyout tenable.
But long-term, you have to wonder if Scott Satterfield, App State’s coach the previous six seasons, might have made more sense for the Tar Heels. Even in a 35-17 loss to Notre Dame on Monday night, it looked like Satterfield had pulled a reverse Thanos: snapped his fingers and brought the Cardinals, 2-10 a year ago, back to life.
Satterfield, who is from Hillsborough, won 47 games in five years on the FBS level for App State. At 46, you figure if his health cooperates, he has a good two decades in front of him. Brown’s unlikely to make it past his five-year contract.
Cunningham could have hired Satterfield and set the program up for a generation, kind of like John Swofford did when he hired Brown the first time around in 1988.
It’s fair to point out Satterfield would not have had the sizzle that has accompanied Brown’s return. Brown is a PR magician and master recruiter. What Brown has done, in terms of rekindling interest and enthusiasm for the program, is remarkable.
And maybe Cunningham has already thought a move ahead to when Brown exits. That is what will ultimately what will give us the answer about if the right hire was made this time.
On to “The Only* ACC Power Rankings That Matter:”
1. Clemson
Record: 1-0
Last game: beat Georgia Tech, 52-14
Next game: vs. Texas A&M (Saturday)
“Hey, Joe ... Clemson was lucky to beat Alabama. They couldn’t run through the SEC like they do the ACC, right?”
You’re right. The Tigers are 9-0 in their past nine games against the ACC and “only” 8-1 in their past nine games against the SEC.
2. Virginia
Record: 1-0
Last game: won at Pitt, 30-14
Next game: vs. William & Mary (Friday)
Football was the only sport keeping Virginia fans humble. With the uprising under coach Bronco Mendenhall, now the Wahoos have it all.
3. Syracuse
Record: 1-0
Last game: won at Liberty, 24-0
Next game: at Maryland (Saturday)
Not exactly dynamite in the opener but looks can be overrated. But are the Orange overrated (No. 22 this week in the AP poll)?
4. Miami
Record: 0-1
Last game: lost to Florida, 24-20
Next game: at UNC (Saturday)
How much of the offense has Miami fixed since a “Week Zero” loss to Florida? Counter-point: Will the Canes face another defense as talented as the Gators this season?
5. UNC
Record: 1-0
Last game: beat South Carolina, 24-20
Next game: vs. Miami (Saturday)
John Bunting (2004) and Butch Davis (2007) each won their first home game against Miami. Everett Withers (2011) and Larry Fedora (2013) did not. Mack Brown gets his first crack at the Canes on Saturday night.
6. Wake Forest
Record: 1-0
Last game: beat Utah State, 38-35
Next game: at Rice (Friday)
In basketball terms, Utah State wanted to run with Wake. Rice will try to slow it down. Not the worst idea. The real fun begins next week (vs. UNC in a nonconference game) for the Deacs.
7. N.C. State
Record: 1-0
Last game: beat ECU, 34-6
Next game: vs. Western Carolina (Saturday)
Last year’s close call with a Division I-AA team (James Madison) was the exception, not the rule for the Wolfpack, which has won 31 straight over lower-level opponents.
8. Boston College
Record: 1-0
Last game: beat Virginia Tech, 35-28
Next game: vs. Richmond (Saturday)
Bully for the Eagles. They cleared the first huddle and now should be 4-0 (the Spiders, Kansas, Rutgers are up next) when Wake visits on Sept. 28.
9. Duke
Record: 0-1
Last game: lost to Alabama, 42-3
Next game: vs. N.C. A&T (Saturday)
A lesser-coached team in this spot could give us another “Bring me my money” moment from Aggies coach Sam Washington. The Blue Devils should be able to avoid that trap.
10. Virginia Tech
Record: 0-1
Last game: lost at Boston College, 35-28
Next game: vs. Old Dominion (Saturday)
Just about everything went right for Justin Fuente in his first two years with the Hokies. Very little has gone right since.
11. Pittsburgh
Record: 0-1
Last game: lost to Virginia, 30-14
Next game: vs. Ohio (Saturday)
The Panthers really should call former offensive coordinator Matt Canada back. Their offense is a mess without him.
12. Louisville
Record: 0-1
Last game: lost to Notre Dame, 35-17
Next game: vs. Eastern Kentucky (Saturday)
The Cards take the coveted “moral victory of the week” crown in a landslide after that performance against Notre Dame.
13. Florida State
Record: 0-1
Last game: lost to Boise State, 36-31
Next game: vs. Louisiana-Monroe (Saturday)
Moral victories are good for some but not for others. Florida State played better, and lost to a good team (Boise), but losing a double-digit lead in the second half is the worst kind of loss. That’s how seasons unravel, even in Week 1.
14. Georgia Tech
Record: 0-1
Last game: lost at Clemson, 52-14
Next game: vs. South Florida (Saturday)
Meet the new Georgia Tech, same as the old Georgia Tech. The ACC Network should have had a live cam on former coach Paul Johnson when the Jackets came out against Clemson and ... proceeded to run the option.
This story was originally published September 3, 2019 at 2:01 PM.
