North Carolina Football: 3 takeaways from Tar Heels’ Military Bowl win

1. Mack Brown’s return to North Carolina proved truly successful

When North Carolina opted to bring back Mack Brown for his second stint as the head coach of the Tar Heels, 22 years after he left Chapel Hill and six years since his last season coaching at Texas, it seemed a curious hire. Many wondered if the game had passed Brown by, and whether he could adjust to the changes in the sport over the past half-decade since he was last on the sidelines.

One season does not completely answer questions about a coach, but the early returns show that UNC made an inspired decision to bring back their former leader for another go at the school. Brown guided the Tar Heels to the Military Bowl since 2016, going .500 in the regular season and then guiding them to a decisive victory over Temple.

It wasn’t even the final record that made the biggest difference so much as a culture change in Chapel Hill. Brown brought back an infectious energy that made football fun again for the Tar Heels, and it has also translated to what at this point looks like a top-20 recruiting class for 2020.

After dispelling the rumors that football had passed him by, what will Brown have in store for an encore next season? If the Military Bowl is any indication of things to come, the Tar Heels could be justifiably ranked at the end of the year and highly touted heading into next season.