MACK BROWN NAMES HIS 2 BIGGEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHING RIVALS

Mack Brown has encountered numerous foes during a coaching career that's spanned nearly 40 decades. He developed some heated on-field rivalries during his time at North Carolina and Texas.

Danny Kanell asked the Tar Heels head coach to identify his greatest coaching rival during a College Sports on SiriusXM radio interview. While Brown doesn't harbor any animosity toward them, Bob Stoops and Steve Spurrier were the first coaches who came to mind.

"I think the two that were a lot alike were Coach Stoops and Coach Spurrier," Brown said. “And they grew up together, and we’re just different. They would come out and say anything. And they want to stir the pot and I’ve always been, 'I don’t dislike the opponent.'"

Brown, an Oklahoma offensive coordinator under Barry Switzer in 1984, butted heads with the Sooners when coaching the Longhorns from 1998 to 2013. Stooped coached Oklahoma for all but one of those seasons.

While Stoops is a natural response, Spurrier didn't head a direct rival of Brown for nearly as long. They were briefly ACC foes when Spurrier headed Duke.

Yet Brown recalled that Spurrier "ran it up" on him during a 41-0 rout in 1989. He said he would have gladly returned the favor if given the opportunity, but their paths didn't cross when Spurrier spent over a decade at Florida.

"He had reverses and double passes," Brown said. "Had a tight end kick an extra point at the end."

Brown was also sure to clarify that he likes Stoops and Spurrier and has no hatred for any coaches or players associated with the opposition.

"Everybody’s mad at me because I like the kids at NC State," Brown said. "They play hard. They’re like, ‘He’s not supposed to say that.’ No, I don’t hate kids. I love kids that play. So whether they like it or not, I love kids. I love coaches. Bob did a great job. Steve did an unbelievable job."

2024-05-09T20:30:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd