Mack Brown hasn't forgotten Larry Fedora

Brown says he and Fedora have spoken regularly since he took over at UNC

Rich Barnes - USA TODAY Sports

Discussing his first game at Kenan Stadium on the Carolina sideline since 1997, Mack Brown said he wouldn't reminisce too much.

Besides, he got most of that out of the way last summer when he and his wife, Sally, were in town.

"It was pretty surreal when Sally and I came back and walked across the field," he said. "There were a lot of thoughts and memories, and I didn’t remember the early games; I remembered the late ones, so that was a lot better. This is not about me; this is about these kids winning and this gives them another chance to take a huge step against a really talented team."

Between his role as an ESPN analyst and successful coach, Brown routinely visited coaching buddies around the nation to talk football, watch practice and speak with teams.

When he came to visit Carolina and Coach Larry Fedora last August, he never entertained the thought he would ever lead the program again.

"No, number one I didn’t want it to be possible because I wanted Larry to be here and Christi," Brown said. "Number two, he had a long-term contract, so I didn’t think about. Number three, Sally told me I couldn’t coach anywhere but here, but I had pretty much figured I was through."

In a stunning turn of events, Brown was hired to help rebuild the Tar Heel football program four months later, but in his introductory press conference, he made clear his affection for Fedora.

"I have a lot of respect for Larry Fedora and he did a tremendous job here, in times under very difficult circumstances," he said in November 2018."I will promise Larry and his wonderful family that Sally and I know well, that we will take care of his players and we will help them grow and move forward like he was working to do for many years here."

As it turns out, that wasn't just a nice line to drop in a press conference, as Brown said that he and Fedora, now an offensive analyst, have stayed in contact since he took over the program, speaking about once a month.

"Larry and I have been great," Brown said. "I call him and talk to him about the players and who’s doing well, who’s struggling and he and Christi wanted somebody to treat their kids right. This has probably been the smoothest transition for friends in coaching there’s ever been."

With Carolina preparing for Miami and Texas getting ready to play host to LSU, Brown said he hasn't reached out to Fedora this week, but the former Carolina coach had been on his mind. 

"I was thinking about him though, this morning, that I should follow up and tell him a lot of his guys played great Saturday," Brown said.