By R.L. Bynum
Mack Brown admits he doesn’t handle losses very well and said Monday that’s what led him to ask his team a question in the dressing room Saturday after North Carolina’s 70–50 loss to James Madison that he regrets.
He lamented that he lied to his wife, Sally, when he promised to take losses better and said this was another example. Brown said that he continues to learn hard lessons even at age 73.
“As I was walking off the field, I thought, ‘I’m responsible for all this.’ ” Brown said. “It’s on me, so I should ask the players about leadership [and] if they feel good about me moving forward. And that’s something I shouldn’t do. I shouldn’t put that pressure on those young people at that point. I’m supposed to be a leader. And probably the worst things I’ve ever said in my life are after losses.”
Brown said he wasn’t trying to quit but rather trying to ask what’s wrong.
Reports trickled out about his emotional conversation with the players, and Brown said they were misinterpreted and led to speculation that he would resign. He said that’s not happening and is excited about the future.
“Things used to stay in the locker room,” Brown said. “The locker room was sacred. It’s obviously not anymore.”
His emotional bond with the players is why he was so emotional after the loss and why he’s ready to try to help the team do better, starting with Saturday’s 4 p.m. ACC opener at 4–0 Duke (ESPN2).
“Let’s move forward, and we’re doing that, and excited about the future, and love my job and love these kids,” Brown said. “I love this place, and that’s why I hate losing so much.”
Brown said postgame conversations with Chancellor Lee Roberts and Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham were great.
“I told Bubba, ‘I apologize. I shouldn’t have gotten emotional,’ ” Brown said. “I was trying to do what was right. I always try to do what’s right. I normally slow down when I get mad, because I’m not a good person when I’m mad; I don’t handle things well. I don’t say the right stuff when I’m mad. I have a really bad temper, and I have learned that. That’s why I get by myself, and I keep my mouth shut when I’m mad after losses. And, this time, it just grabbed me, and it was a mistake. I can’t change it. What you do is you learn from it.”
ACC standings
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 9 SMU | 8–0 | 11–1 |
| No. 12 Clemson | 7–1 | 9–3 |
| No. 6 Miami | 6–2 | 10–2 |
| Duke | 5–3 | 9–3 |
| Syracuse | 5–3 | 9–3 |
| Louisville | 5–3 | 8–4 |
| Georgia Tech | 5–3 | 7–5 |
| Boston College | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Virginia Tech | 4–4 | 6–6 |
| Pittsburgh | 3–5 | 7–5 |
| North Carolina | 3–5 | 6–6 |
| N.C. State | 3–5 | 6–6 |
| Virginia | 3–5 | 5–7 |
| California | 2–6 | 6–6 |
| Wake Forest | 2–6 | 4–8 |
| Stanford | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Florida State | 1–7 | 2–10 |
Friday’s results
San Jose State 34, Stanford 31
No. 7 Georgia 44, Georgia Tech 42
Saturday’s results
N.C. State 35, North Carolina 30
Syracuse 42, No. 6 Miami 38
No. 9 SMU 38, California 6
No. 15 South Carolina 17, No. 12 Clemson 14
Louisville 41, Kentucky 14
Duke 23, Wake Forest 17
Boston College 34, Pittsburgh 23
Florida 31, Florida State 11
Virginia Tech 37, Virginia 17
Saturday’s ACC championship game
No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 9 SMU in Charlotte, 8 p.m., ABC
UNC schedule
| Month/ date | Time, TV | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| September | ||
| 1 (Monday) | 8 p.m., ESPN | vs. TCU |
| 6 | 7 p.m., ESPN+ | at Charlotte |
| 13 | 3:30, ACCN | vs. Richmond |
| 20 | at Central Florida | |
| October | ||
| 4 | vs. No. 4 Clemson | |
| 17 (Friday) | 10:30, ESPN | at California |
| 25 | vs. Virginia | |
| 31 (Friday) | 7:30, ESPN | at Syracuse |
| November | ||
| 8 | vs. Stanford | |
| 15 | at Wake Forest | |
| 22 | vs. Duke | |
| 29 | at N.C. State |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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