Mack Brown, "We're in the Re-Imagined New Normal"

Mack Brown dives into the complications he will face in the new normal and the questions surrounding social distancing once staff and student-athletes return.

According to multiple reports, UNC football is expected to have student-athletes return in July, but what does that look like? The expectations of uncharted territory are a bit blurry for most as the administration tries their best to not only keep returning students safe but faculty. UNC Football coach Mack Brown is gearing up to face a different reality as he heads back to Chapel Hill - a reality where he can't be personable with people he cares about.

"I'm a hugger and a high-fiver, so that's going to have to change. I can't imagine having a team meeting where everyone has to stay six feet apart. It's a reimagined new normal. Things will not be the same.″

Brown outlined what has been discussed with his staff regarding their return and the beginning of team practice,

"But I was talking to our staff this morning, and we're still staying with the same plan we talked about before. Understanding we haven't been told anything for sure. Our plan is still to go back to work in the middle of June as a staff until we're told differently." Brown told reporters via teleconferencing, "Players will come back the first or middle of July for a month or four weeks to prepare for fall practice starting August 1 to play our games and the regular season still."

The return arises with questions such as how many people can be in a room, meeting, or even workout. Brown opened a multitude of things that would need to be addressed,

"And then do you have different types of practices? Do you have different numbers at different times? Do you have a staff meeting in the Swofford Team Meeting Auditorium to spread people out further?" Brown questioned, "Do you have to meet with your first two groups and not your third group at the same time and then have two different meetings. Do you have to have two team meetings, a defensive team meeting, and an offensive team meeting? What will the training table look like? Will we have carry-out more than people sitting together?

"So all of those things are things now that will happen that are different again. It's like we're in a constant mode of sudden change, and there's a lot of unknowns out there that we've still got to continue to work toward."

The return to campus will be an experience for everyone involved, the reimagined new normal. With administration investing in extensive cleaning and safety protocols, it looks like a return to Chapel Hill will be as close to normal as possible. 

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