UNC football coach Mack Brown on Tez Walker, the NCAA and super conferences

Tar Heels football coach Mack Brown joined The Observer’s Talking Preps show to speak his mind on a variety of topics and how he’d really like to see the ACC stick together.
UNC football coach Mack Brown took a very strong stand defending a wide receiver from Charlotte against an NCAA eligibility ban.
Brown wrote a public letter of support for former West Charlotte High School star Tez Walker, ending it with the words “Shame on you, NCAA.”
Walker had been benched for transferring more than once, though he never played at one of his schools, North Carolina Central, which had its season wiped out during the pandemic. Walker did play at Kent State but after his coach left, Walker transferred to Chapel Hill, where he was ruled ineligible for violating a rule against multiple transfers.
The NCAA ultimately relented, and Walker played his first game for the Tar Heels on Saturday against Syracuse. On Monday, Brown spoke with The Observer on its Talking Preps streaming show and said he was never concerned about what his comments might have done to him or his legacy.
“I was worried about more than what was fair to (Walker),” Brown said.. “This isn’t about me. This wasn’t about the NCAA. This was totally about him. I’ve never come out that strong about anything, really, and I felt like I should because you can’t say you’re going to do something and not do it. ... I just wanted to bring the light for a lot of kids across the country that may have been treated unfairly. We can’t do this. We need to be fair to kids. They’re talking about rules and process. I’m talking about mental health. I’m talking about what’s best for a young person I’m responsible for.”
On The Observer’s Talking Preps show, Brown spoke more about Walker, NIL, the future of the ACC and NCAA super conferences as well as the controversial relationship between the N.C. legislature and the N.C. High School Athletic Association.
A few of his comments are below, edited for brevity and clarity.
What’s been the secret to the Tar Heels 5-0 start, its best in 26 years?
Mack Brown: I think we’re an older team that gets it and they’re playing hard. They’re playing well together. They don’t panic. We’ve got probably the best staff I’ve been around. We’ve played tough teams. We’ve payed five hard teams. We’ve had hard games but the guys keep finding ways to win.
What was it like to have Tez Walker back Saturday?
North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker (9) walks down the field before UNC’s game against South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.
North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker (9) walks down the field before UNC’s game against South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Mack Brown: I feel like my job as the coach is to make sure that every player on our team is treated like I would want my son or my grandson to be treated. If you feel like they’ve been treated unfairly you’ve got to step up and you’ve got to make sure that everybody understands, or I’m a fraud. It had nothing to do with the NCAA. It had nothing to do with outcry. It had something to do with being who I am and telling our players, ‘This is wrong, and we’re going to fight and we’re going to fight hard.’
And a lot really smart people and good people, and the whole state of North Carolina stood up for this young man who couldn’t stand up for himself. And that’s our job. That’s what we’re supposed to do. So I’ve never been more proud to see a young man live his dream on Saturday.
How do you see a recent decision by NC lawmakers to strip power from the NCHSAA affecting high school sports?
Mack Brown: I’m old school. I want an association that is involved every day and cares. I want people involved with our sport that know exactly what’s going on. I’m worried even in college that we’re making rules with people who don’t live it every day. And we’ve taken the coaches and athletics directors away from the game and we’re making rules where there are consequences and we’re not sure what those consequences are. I really believe all of us need to have more common sense in what we’re doing and make sure that we slow down, make sure that we take a deep breath. And when we’re making a decision, ask those who live it every day their opinions at least, so we’ll have an idea of what happens.
What is your view of NIL today?
Mack Brown: If we continue across the country to say this state can do it and this state can’t do it, we’re not going to have continuity. We have got to get a consistent basis of the way we rule things in college athletics and in high school athletics, and we have to look at what’s best for these young peoples’ mental health. We’re losing more kids right now than ever before to alcohol and drugs and mental health. We’ve got to think about that now. We’re putting too much pressure on these young people.
And to me, that’s where we’ve got to start. Let’s start with what’s best for them and then let’s work back to this other stuff. And if Congress is going to be involved that’s fine, but ... let’s start getting people that have knowledge of the sports to get involved with the politicians so we make sure we’re coming out with the right end.
Do you worry that with NCHSAA not being able to use corporate sponsors, the state finals will move off college campuses and go back to high school venues?
Mack Brown: Right now, across the board in our country, we’re so about money. And we have to be really, really careful that we don’t lose who we are. If we say we’re for student-athlete welfare, let’s quit saying it and show it. These kids love to come to college campuses to win their state championship. That would be something I would hate to see go back to the high schools because they just wouldn’t get that experience. A lot of kids that play have never been on a college campus and they get to come and play in a huge stadium and that’s the ultimate for them. That’s a life’s dream. That’s a bucket list. And when they’re 40 and when they’re 60, they’re going be talking winning that championship in Kenan Stadium, and that would be different than it would be in their own high school stadium.
What are your feelings about an expanded ACC and potential super conferences in college football?
Mack Brown: I see us headed towards an NFL model. With NIL, they’ll have to get salary caps. Do they start paying money to the players through the universities instead of the collectives? Unless we get some balance, some consistency in what we’re doing and how we’re paying, the schools that have the most money are going to be the ones playing all the time with all the best players. And we’re going to lose who we are. And then we’ll have 40 teams and two leagues. There will be a North and a South or an East and West and you’ll have divisions and ones that pay the most money will play for the playoffs or a championship.
Then you’ll see some really good traditional programs right now who will be Group of Five teams and their fans not be satisfied and not see them. We’re going to lose who we are with rivalry games, and we’re going to lose so much of who we’ve been our whole lives. I am a traditionalist. I love this game. This game has been a huge part of my life. But right now I’m worried we’re not thinking enough about the players, enough about their parents being able to see them play with this east coast-west coast trying to play games. And what about the fan base? We’re asking more from them than ever before and I hate that. ... These guys are going to get caller ID and not answer the phones when we call.
Do you want to see the ACC stick together?
Mack Brown: I love the ACC and I’ve been here 15 years. I love our game with State and Wake and Duke and Virginia and Virginia Tech. That’s why, when they asked me about divisions, I wanted to keep the divisions. The fan love playing those games. The parents can all drive to those games. The kids, their high school coaches get to see them play. They’re going to live here when they get through. These games are really important. When they’re 40, they’re going to be talking about some of these games. ... We’re going to lose some of that. And I like the fact you can win a division and then a championship instead of just two teams that may be the best two teams that just play each other twice. And that’s kind of what’s going to happen if this continues on the same plane we’re going.