'You Lied': Mack Brown Takes Shot at Texas A&M Aggies' Mike Elko During ACC Kickoff

Former Texas Longhorns coach Mack Brown didn't hold back on Mike Elko or other former ACC coaches during the conference's media day.

Nov 11, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown before the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Former Texas Longhorns and current North Carolina Tarheels head coach Mack Brown isn't exactly known for being a harsh critic.

Even during his time in Austin, Brown typically had nothing but good things to say about the Aggies or any of his other rivals. The same was true in Chapel Hill with North Carolina.

However, during his appearance at the ACC Kickoff event on Thursday, Brown was as outspoken as we have ever seen him, with the 72-year-old taking shots at multiple coaches for allegedly recruiting negatively against him due to his age.

He even came after new Aggies coach Mike Elko, who was the only head coach Brown identified in his rant by name and claimed Elko used the same tactic.

Nov 11, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown before the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

“Coach Elko said ‘I’ll be at Duke longer than Mack will be at Carolina,’” Brown said. “I called him when he went out to A&M and said ‘OK, you lied.’ He said ‘Well, I didn’t think I was gonna [leave].’ I said ‘Yea, I got it. I hear all that.'”

However, Brown didn't stop there.

Not long after his shot at Elko, Brown doubled down, taking another shot at the coaches in the conference as a whole, and the others who recruited negatively about him in the past.

“Every recruit that comes in, the first thing he wants to know is 'Are you going to quit?' Because every coach that recruits against us says I’m going to quit," Brown said. "Six of them have been fired that said that already. They need to worry more about themselves.”

Obviously, recruiting in college football is a very competitive environment, and teams typically utilize every advantage they can when pursuing a player they want.

Brown is no stranger to this. Perhaps he is one of the few coaches who has never attempted to exploit a perceived disadvantage of another program for his own gain. Or perhaps not.

The fact is, whether Brown likes it or not, it is a common practice in the sport. And due to Brown's age, it is natural to assume that he won't keep coaching for a long period of time.

That said, according to Brown himself, he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon.

“I’m lucky, I’m healthy. I’ve got lots of energy. I’m having so much fun," Brown said. "And how many people get to change kids’ lives every day of their lives? I mean it’s just amazing.”