North Carolina coach Mack Brown denies retirement rumor: ‘I haven’t even thought about it’

North Carolina coach Mack Brown isn’t going anywhere.

Brown told The Athletic on Wednesday that he hasn’t even considered retiring after the 2021 season. This comes after rumors circulated that Brown, 70, could be calling it a career in the coming weeks.

“I haven’t even thought about [retirement],” Brown told The Athletic’s Andy Staples

.

Brown also theorized that rumors of retirement were spread in hopes that it would hurt the Tar Heels in recruiting.

North Carolina does have one of the nation’s best recruiting class for the 2022 cycle. The Tar Heels’ class ranks No. 9 nationally and No. 1 in the ACC, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

UNC’s class includes two of the top 10 players in the entire country for this cycle: 5-star defensive lineman Travis Shaw a

nd 5-star offensive tackle Zach Rice.

On the field, this has been a disappointing campaign for North Carolina. The Tar Heels had hopes of competing for an ACC Championship this year, but instead sit at 5-5 with just two weeks left in the regular season.

Brown is finishing up his third season with the Tar Heels. He has an overall record of 20-15 during his second stint in Chapel Hill.

North Carolina faces Wofford this weekend before closing out the season with North Carolina State on Black Friday.