North Carolina football coach Mack Brown gives summer updates on program

The last time North Carolina head coach Mack Brown spoke to the media was during spring football, specifically, the spring game. Now, knee deep in summer training as fresh faces are making their way to Chapel Hill, Brown gave an update on the program’s happenings since then.

Brown spoke on an array of topics, including expectations, last season’s late swoon and training camp.

Here were some takeaways.

Need to ‘finish right’

North Carolina started last season 3-1, advanced to 9-1 and lost its remaining four games. At one point, the Tar Heels were the second-highest ranked ACC team, only behind Clemson. But injuries and a general lack of “toughness,” as Brown described it, left the Tar Heels relatively unsatisfied with the season.

“I think that we’re so close,” he said. “We didn’t finish, and we’re not happy with the way we finished. But we know what we could have done better to finish, and that’s what we’ve got to do. The whole thing has been we’ve got to go from we’re good.”

This year, Brown starts his season with the “toughest schedule” he has seen as a head coach, facing South Carolina, App State, Minnesota and Pitt in the first four weeks. In an effort to learn from last year’s mistakes, and prepare for those four games, Brown and his coaching staff created summer goals focusing on stamina, strength and conditioning, and rebuilding toughness.

Once training camp officially starts Aug. 2, Brown’s goal is to treat camp like a sprint. There’s no easing into the season with the Gamecocks as the Tar Heels’ first opponent, he said.

To Brown’s advantage, many of the returning players have the same attitude they had last season, he said. It’s still a confident team that understands what potential it can achieve.

The Heels have a chip on their shoulder, Brown said, and it’s one the coach wants to keep there. However, Brown knows South Carolina will start this season as a confident program, so it’s about committing to the goals he’s set for the Tar Heels — not just having conversations.

“What I’ve talked a lot to the staff about this spring is having goals is important but committing to those goals and accomplishing those goals is more important,” he said. “And we haven’t done that.”

Welcome aboard, rookies

At this point, all the new scholarship athletes for North Carolina have made their way to Chapel Hill. That includes transfers and incoming freshmen. Brown welcomed the final two players Tuesday, since most of the incoming freshmen have staggered arrivals with high school graduation.

This crop includes defensive backs Tre Miller and Ayden Duncanson, linebacker Amare Campbell, tight end Julien Randolph. Brown said nearly all the newcomers will train together, but separately from the others for now, to give them time to get into condition.

The only new face who is training with the “older guys” is Georgia State transfer safety Antavious “Stick” Lane, who joined the Tar Heels just weeks ago as a graduate transfer. Brown said Lane is adjusting to the offseason program well, and that he enjoys having a safety with “Stick” as a nickname.

“You like a safety named ‘Stick,’ ” he said with a laugh, “There’s a reason.”

The new players are all paired with a faculty mentor and a “big brother” of the program to help guide them through their first few weeks on campus. This includes escorting the players to their classes, showing them the facilities and getting them adjusted to the schedule North Carolina uses in the summer.

Brown said this “big brother” program keeps the new players on track and sets the expectations of what he wants out of his players. Plus, there’s a small level of competition, with the team drafting mini teams and competing in small on- and off-field competitions throughout the summer that help keep the players on their toes for training camp.

“Everything we’re doing is trying to show them the what you got to do to be great,” Brown said. “And that’s not taking any shortcuts.”

Focused on winning

The conversations surrounding the ACC and its future wiggled their way into Brown’s availability, and while he answered what he could, the head coach was adamant on one thing — his job is very different from an athletic director’s.

Brown did say following the ACC meetings in Florida earlier this year, he understood that commissioner Jim Phillips is trying to find ways to get the schools more money and TV deals. Brown said he understands the college football landscape changes almost daily, but he’s not going to press on anything until UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham says something.

“And that’s basically all that was said in those meetings,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of rumors. I don’t deal with rumors. I deal with facts.”

One conversation Brown did have was with new ACC supervisor of officials Alberto Riveron. Brown said he’s been impressed with how Riveron has handled the short-term issues with officiating, including visiting the schools to let the coaches ask questions.

Brown said his goal during that spring meeting was to learn how to teach his players what is legal and illegal, and to find consistency across the league.

“What (Riveron’s) doing is, he’s hiring basically assistant coaches that are going to coach each position of the officials,” Brown said. “And then that review process will be talking to us every week about here’s what that coach saw and and here’s how we handle it and he said, ‘We’re not going to agree on everything, but we’re going to give you the answer of why we called it and how we expect you to teach it to call it.’ And that’s all we want.”

Maintenance before Aug. 2

There are a few lingering questions Brown answered on the logistical side of things. For one, only two players will be unavailable for the start of training camp — linebacker Malaki Hamrick and offensive lineman Justin Kanyuk. Brown said he’s hoping to get “two deep” in various positions, essentially meaning he wants to develop his players enough to cycle them in games more often.

Training camp also means new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chip Lindsey and offensive line coach Randy Clements are getting their first full taste of the Tar Heels’ season. Brown said he’s already meeting with his new assistants every day, and that both have been willing to learn as much as they can throughout the quieter summer days.

“He embraces Freddie (Kitchens) being here,” Brown said. “He embraces Clyde Christensen being in there and asking questions and talking. A lot of people aren’t confident enough to want Clyde Christensen sitting in your meeting because of all he’s accomplished. And Chip embraces it he brings it on.”

Finally, the hype surrounding quarterback Drake Maye has put him in a similar position to Sam Howell just a few seasons ago. Brown said Maye has set a lot of expectations for himself — as have others — and that’s put on a lot of pressure on him. But Maye and Howell, now a quarterback with the Washington Commanders, have become friends and have spent time together, with Howell mentoring Maye.

“They talk about every day and they play golf together and they hang out together and they’re having so much fun together that Sam’s experience, good and bad, is going to help Drake so much,” Brown said. “And for a guy just to have done what he wants to do, I think it’s just it’s a wealth of knowledge for him coming in.”

The final summer session ends in late July, before the Tar Heels officially get their season under way for training camp.

This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 7:58 PM.