Brown as recently as Monday said he planned to return next season, but Bubba Cunningham, the UNC athletic director, informed Brown later Monday that “he will not return as head coach.”

Will North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham target a sitting head coach, like Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, or a well-regarded coordinator from a major program, like Georgia’s Glenn Schumann?

Rick Barnes and Mack Brown coached basketball and football, respectively, at Texas for 14 years. The Tennessee coach remains good friends with Brown.