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FLIP TO BACK FOR FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW 126 YEARS OF SERVING UNC STUDENTS AND THE UNIVERSITY FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2019 VOLUME 127, ISSUE 33 MACK LIKE HE NEVER LEFT DTH PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/JEFFREY SHUTTER Mack Brown is about to said in an email. “He gave off an mind after meeting him what we many lives, and now these guys are among other places — the whole amazingly warm and genuine feeling.” were gonna do.” all coming back to say thank you. time, he stayed in touch with Brown. begin his second stint as In the football hotbed of Austin, There’s nothing better.” “He said, ‘One day, you’re gonna UNC head coach. good feelings are nice – but like an ressed in a Carolina Blue According to those close to him, work with me. Not work for me, old pickup truck in the Texan desert, hat, Carolina Blue shorts, that’s what Brown missed the most work with me,’” Thigpen said. By Ryan Wilcox they only go so far. Dand a white collared shirt, — being around young people, That eventually happened, too. Sports Editor Brown produced results too, Kevin Negandhi sat on his suitcase in affecting their lives in a positive way. Thigpen is now the co-defensive stringing together nine consecutive the lobby of Kenan Football Center. Now armed with a new coordinator and inside linebackers hen he hired Mack 10-win seasons and an epic Rose Bowl It was 9 a.m. on a Saturday. understanding of the press from the coach for the Tar Heels, having been Brown in 1997 to lead win in 2006 to seal a national title. The SportsCenter anchor and inside out — “A lot of coaches are retained from the previous regime Whis football program, It is still, probably, the best college ESPN studio host wasn’t there on miserable and they think the media’s when Brown was hired. DeLoss Dodds already knew what football game of the century. But the business, however. He was there to after them,” he said, “and that has Three decades later, Thigpen still he was getting. result isn’t the only thing Bianco catch up with Mack Brown. nothing to do with it” – Brown remembers what his parents told Dodds, then the athletics director remembers. Brown had a message to “Just to see how my friend’s doing,” decided to return to Chapel Hill. him about Brown: “You’re not gonna at Texas, first crossed paths with players after the win: don’t make this Negandhi said. “That’s it.” “I’m never convinced a coach find anybody that genuine.” Brown when he interviewed for the the best thing in your life. Let this After leaving Texas, Brown signed doesn’t wanna coach,” Lemley said. Now beginning his second stint in job in Atlanta, but he had heard experience make you a better friend, on with ESPN as an analyst, a job “I felt the same with Mack.” Chapel Hill, it turns out that a lot of plenty about the North Carolina a better employee, a better person. he would hold until he returned as the traits that make Brown who he is head coach beforehand. “Wow, in that moment, that was the UNC head coach in November. ommy Thigpen was at are still there. “High expectations,” Dodds said, so powerful,” Bianco wrote. “And to Negandhi worked with Brown for two Potomac High School in He’s still the guy who can work “but he met them.” this day, everyone in that room still years on ESPN’s live college football Virginia when he first met a room, and remember everyone’s It wasn’t just that Brown — now T talks about that.” show on ABC, reacting in real time to Mack Brown in 1988. Armed with names while doing it. 68 years old, back at UNC for a During his run, Brown was maybe every game every Saturday. nothing but his 1-10 record at UNC He’s still the guy who never yells at second time after getting hired in the most important person in the His first impression? “This guy at the time, Brown quickly won over players, according to Thigpen — but November — had willed the Tar state. Eventually, though, he fell can’t be for real.” the Thigpen living room. got choked up in front of the team Heels to a new level of national victim to his own on-field success. “He has such a charm and “When my parents met him,” when Cedric Benson, his former prominence, going 21-3 in his last After an 8-4 regular season, demeanor where you feel like you’ve Thigpen said, “They were like, ‘We player, died this month. two seasons in Chapel Hill. Brown resigned as Texas head coach known him for years,” Negandhi said. don’t care what you do in college, but And he’s still the guy who It was the kind of person he in 2013, later discussing the near- “He led a pretty important that man right there, you can trust.’” wants to make North Carolina a was: genuine, warm, intelligent, as insurmountable expectations he had program, and he’s got a pretty big Thigpen, an All-American championship contender. well equipped as anyone to handle helped create. ring on his hand,” ESPN producer linebacker, decided to trust him, and Make no mistake, though: a lot the spotlight at a place like Texas, “The pressure of that job, the Rob Lemley said. “Despite all that, North Carolina promptly recorded has happened since Brown left UNC. where the job can feel more like a pressure of the media – it’s like a pro he came in and was just really down a second straight one-win season. He won a title and rebuilt a governorship than a coaching gig. job in Austin,” Brown said in July. to earth. The relationship took no But you wouldn’t have known it by powerhouse. He left a historic “I always say everybody has a “He had what I would call not a time to develop.” looking at Brown. program amid immense expectations, flat side,” Dodds said. “I don’t think bad year, but an average year. That Brown’s relationships with “He wasn’t telling us his job was then developed a new understanding Mack has a flat side.” wasn’t good enough,” Dodds said players, though, were always the on the line,” Thigpen recalled. He just of the coach-media dynamic. A few months later, Brown was with a laugh. most special. Both Negandhi and kept saying, ‘We’ve gotta get better, He’s older, yes, but also wiser. being introduced as the Longhorns’ Back in 1997, though, Dodds didn’t Lemley attended a December we’ve gotta get better.’” Mack is back, indeed — except he’s head coach and made sure to greet know that Brown would become the ceremony in New York when Brown Inn Thigpen’s senior year, UNC not the same exact guy. everyone “like they were the only most successful Longhorn coach in was named to the College Football went 9-3 and won the Peach Bowl for “We’re always changing,” Thigpen person in the room.” modern memory. All he knew was Hall of Fame, and saw a throng of the first time in program history. The said. “Nobody ever stays the same. I “He was so welcoming, engaging the gut feeling he got from the man players from all of his stops. Tar Heels had gotten better. know he’s changed for the better.” and patient,” John Bianco, the senior across from him. “‘This is awesome,’” Negandhi Thigpen had coaching stops at @ryantwilcox associate athletic director at Texas, “There was no question in my recalled thinking. “He’s touched so Illinois, Auburn and Tennessee, [email protected] Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. COACH ERIC TAYLOR 2 Friday, August 30, 2019 News The Daily Tar Heel The Daily Tar Heel Established 1893 125 years of editorial freedom Campus reactions to new UNC Police chief MADDY ARROWOOD By Evely Forte process was then conducted with when then-police chief Perry learned UNC student reactions EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Assistant University Editor applicants by members of the search of the investigation surrounding [email protected] committee, campus stakeholders and Winston, he called Jeanine Ward- Some students at UNC have MARCO QUIROZ-GUTIERREZ Last week, interim Chancellor law enforcement. Roof — dean of students in charge expressed concerns that Perry’s MANAGING EDITOR Guskiewicz informed the UNC Once the pool of applicants was of Title IX investigations regarding history at FSU suggests a reputation [email protected] community that David L. Perry will narrowed down, the University sexual assaults — to ask why Kinsman of indifference toward sexual assault EMILY SIEGMUND be stepping in to serve as the new hosted two moderated question-and- had been made aware of the second on campus. ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR assistant vice chancellor and chief answer sessions for its four finalists victim, which had prompted her to Perry’s selection comes during a [email protected] of UNC Police starting Sept. 3. on campus in July. Along with Perry, move forward with her investigation period of time between August to MYAH WARD Perry succeeds Jeff McCracken, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police against Winston. Ashton testified that November known as the “red zone,” DIRECTOR OF ENTERPRISE former UNC Police chief and director Department Deputy Chief Johnny following that conversation, Ward- during which sexual assault on [email protected] of public safety, and employee of the Jennings, N.C. State University Roof terminated the investigations college campuses is statistically more University for 30 years.

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