Mack Brown's First Construction Project at Carolina Now Benefiting his Current Rebuild

The excitement is back in Chapel Hill.

Nell Redmond | USA TODAY Sports

Mack Brown is finally enjoying what he helped build in Chapel Hill.

It took over 20 years for the Hall of Fame coach to finally move into the Kenan Football Center that was built, in part, due to the success of the North Carolina program during his first tenure, and that stadium expansion is part of the reason he believes these Tar Heels are having success at home.

“The stadium is more conducive to noise,” Brown said. “I didn’t even think about that, but with both ends full, it’s a lot more loud than when I was here before, because our stands were little in the end zone.”

Indeed, Kenan Stadium has changed mightily since Brown last led the program, first with additions in the west end zone and then, in 2011, the Blue Zone closing the stadium.

After soaking in the sights and sounds of yet another dramatic victory on Saturday night, Brown is certain of another change from his first tenure.

“Our students are coming early, they’re loud, they’re making a difference,” he said. “The crowd is into it on third down, they’re helping us. There’s been a whole lot of false starts here because people can’t hear.

“I think it’s huge and I just don’t remember ever walking out of here and saying, ‘Our crowd changed this game,’ and I’m doing that now. I’m just really enjoying it.”

That’s not just anecdotal.

Through four home games this season, opponents have been flagged for 10 false start penalties — a number already higher than the total for opponents in every season, dating to 2015. The previous highs were nine false starts in each the 2017 and 2015 seasons, when the Tar Heels played seven home games.

Naturally, the improved environment correlates directly with the excitement surrounding the program, along with the schedule the Tar Heels have played this season, featuring a primetime kickoff vs. Miami for Brown’s return, the second-ever meeting with Appalachian State, playing host to top-ranked Clemson and then the victory over Duke, with a capacity crowd of 50,500 each.

With Carolina still contending for a Coastal Division title and a 7:30 p.m. kickoff vs. Virginia on Saturday night, the sellout crowd is expected to become a factor yet again.

“The fans have been crazy, no matter where we’ve been,” receiver Beau Corrales said. “It’s humbling, really, thinking back on it, honestly. These are the kind of moments you live for, these are the kind of games that you’ve dreamed of and stuff. It’s an honor and blessing to be able to be here.”

That follows the message from Brown, who encouraged his players to appreciate their opportunity while not becoming consumed by it.

“I just think football is supposed to be fun and that’s what’s happening right now,” Brown said. “I told the players today, ‘Thank you for letting us have fun, thank you for letting the community have fun, letting the state have fun.’”

It’s been a while since the Tar Heels found themselves here.

In 2017, Carolina ended October at 1-8 with no shot at a Coastal Division title while suffering a similar fate at 1-6 in 2018. It certainly didn’t help that the start of basketball season has moved up to the beginning of November, either.

Folks haven’t been shy to share their excitement around town, either.

“I walk every day on campus and students are pumped and, ‘Great game, coach. Can’t wait until Saturday night,’” Brown said. “I know so many of the boosters and I think everybody is excited this time of the year for football. Even Don McCauley said, ‘This is so cool, to have a game of this magnitude in November.’”

Quarterback Sam Howell has been posing for selfies with fans since his days as a big-time recruit, and lately, things have picked up in Chapel Hill.

“It’s definitely grown since I’ve gotten here, now that the season started,” he said. “It probably picks up a little bit more every week.”

It’s also picking up on the recruiting side, where amid a run of success, Carolina flipped former N.C. State-commit Jonathan Adorno after he visited for the Duke game. In all, Carolina had 102 recruits visiting on Saturday.

“I think those kids come to the game and they see the excitement of these fans and they say, ‘Wow, I want to be a part of this,’” Brown said. “You want them to build memories while they’re here that they want to be a part of. That’s all recruiting is, ‘I like this, I want to be a part of this, Coach.’”

Those memories are the ones that seniors like Aaron Crawford will be hanging onto, after suffering through the past two seasons and seeing more empty seats every week as the losses piled up.

“The fans have been phenomenal. They definitely have an impact on the game, more than they could ever know,” he said. “It’s definitely a good feeling to be able to see that and I’m glad the fans are happy to be here; just as happy as we are to be playing for them — they keep showing up, we’ll keep ballin’ for ‘em.”

Even 40 years into a legendary career, Brown finds himself caught up in the moments, too.

“Everybody singing the fight song, 50-something thousand singing the fight song at the end of the game, that’s really cool stuff,” he said. “This is fun and I think that’s the biggest thing right now. I think our fans are having fun and we probably haven’t had that in a while.”