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Hometown: Cookeville, Tenn.
High school: Putnam County
College: Florida State ’74
Graduate degree: Southern Mississippi ’76
Years in coaching: 31
Wife: Sally
Children: Matt, Katherine, Barbara, Chris

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Mack Brown's remarkable record as a head coach has seen success at every level, including the rare accomplishment of building Top Five programs at two different schools. One of a handful of coaches in the history of college football to pull off that double, Brown's formula is built on a rock-solid, attacking defense and a pro-style offense combined with a team-first family philosophy. His "one heartbeat" belief of developing talent and leadership within a family atmosphere has established a consistency of success that is matched by few.

Establishing stability has been a trademark of Brown's career, highlighted by his success at North Carolina and Texas during the last 16 seasons. He rebuilt North Carolina after a series of disappointing seasons and turned it into a nationally-elite program. At Texas, he has resurrected a Longhorns program that had suffered through six non-winning (five losing) seasons, including a 4-7 record in 1997, in the 12 years prior to his arrival.

Fresh off a season that saw North Carolina finish 11-1 and fourth nationally (USA Today/ CNN), Brown was hired as the 28th head coach in the storied history of Texas football on Dec. 4, 1997. He immediately developed a plan of attack, hiring a staff of veteran coaches who had familiarity with the Southwest. Brown has worked to keep the foundation of that group intact and also linked tradition with winning, education and entertainment. From his very first season, he steadily has restored pride in one of college football's most historic programs and put the swagger back in being a Longhorn.

Brown has brought enthusiasm back to the UT program while wowing everyone from recruits to supporters and alumni. His down-home wit and wisdom are clearly energetic, thoughtful, engaging and enthusiastic. That passion has helped the Longhorns sign some of the nation's finest recruiting classes year in and year out, while raising the enthusiasm and support for Texas football to an all-time high.

Beginning with an eight-city speaking tour of Texas in 1998 - which turned into a revival as thousands of fans poured into crowded rooms to hear him speak - Brown rapidly invigorated the mood and spirit of the UT faithful and hasn't missed a beat since.

Brown reunited the Longhorns lettermen, welcoming any and all to practices and began a lettermen's reunion and golf tournament that has grown immensely each spring. Thousands of former lettermen and their families return to campus for the annual UT Spring Jamboree that Brown has turned into a weekend event in Austin. The Jamboree now features a lettermen's golf outing and reunion to go along with pregame festivities, the Orange-White scrimmage and an autograph session. The weekend has set attendance records each year, topping out at 36,250 in 2004. Brown also has added a Fan Appreciation Day in the fall that has attracted crowds of more than 10,000.

"Mack has helped bring back the pride in Texas football," former Longhorns All-American and NFL great Tommy Nobis said. "Tradition is what makes the college game so exciting and Mack is doing a great job getting everyone excited about wearing the burnt orange and white and being a Longhorn again."

Brown also quickly built two other important bridges - one with legendary former head coach Darrell Royal and the other with the important constituency of Texas high school coaches.

"Mack has done everything right from the first day he hit town," Royal said. "He has established strong ties with the high school coaches, built a tremendous bond with the lettermen and gained unbelievable support.

"With all of the great things he has done in public relations, what people have learned is that he can coach, too. He is a dedicated football man and has assembled an outstanding staff. Together, they organize all the facets of the job. Talk about 'not leaving a stone unturned' he turned over every rock as fast as he could. A major state official in North Carolina told one of our top people Mack could be elected governor, and he wasn't kidding. Mack is that strong with people."

The union with Royal, whom Brown idolized as a young player in high school, has been a meaningful relationship for both men. Royal regularly participates in team events and has access to an office Brown had built for him in the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletics Complex.

"Mack's like the Darrell Royal of the 21st century," UT All-American and 2002 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Sisemore said. "He's hard-working and has a great concern for his athletes. The coaches and players work hard and support one another and that's exactly how Coach Royal ran things. Mack's the real deal and it's been fun to watch him build the program."

An enthusiastic supporter of tradition, Brown is just as passionate in his appreciation of high school coaches, a group he treats with the utmost respect. The gregarious coach has engaged the proud Texas high school coaching community. Brown invites every high school staff to visit UT practices and has rapidly built powerful bonds in that community. UT's high school coaches clinic has gone from a couple hundred coaches prior to his arrival to more than a thousand and become one of the state's most popular spring events.

"I have never seen anyone make friends better or quicker with the high school coaching community," said Eddie Joseph, executive vice president of the Texas High School Coaches Association. "Mack is amazing. He has the ability to make everyone feel at ease around him and makes the coaches from junior high on up feel comfortable. I think the thing that makes him so great for the coaches to work with is that he has a passion for high school coaches. He has a great deal of respect for the coaches."

With his team, the message was clear from the first meeting on the evening of Dec. 4, 1997. He did not believe in rebuilding. He believed in winning. The standard was simple. He expected that, together, he and the team would have fun. He expected that, together, he and the team would do things the right way. He expected that, together, he and the team would win. Each year, Brown has built on that foundation while accomplishing feats not seen in Austin in decades.

Brown's seven consecutive nine (or more) win seasons are a UT first as are his back-to-back 11-win campaigns and four 10-victory seasons in a row. The Longhorns' seven straight bowl berths haven't happened since the program played in nine straight bowl games from 1977-85. UT is trying to extend its streak of Top 25 finishes to seven in a row, a first since the Horns earned eight final Top 25 rankings in a row from 1968-75. The Longhorns are also looking to extend their current streak of Top 12 finishes to five, which would be a UT first. The Longhorns have claimed the Big 12 South Division title and played in the conference championship game in two of the last six years (co-Champs in 2002).

In just seven seasons, Brown's Longhorns squads have featured a Heisman Trophy winner, 23 All-Americans, 33 first-team All-Big 12 selections, two Big 12 Offensive Players of the Year, two Big 12 Defensive Players of the Year and seven Big 12 Freshman of the Year honorees.

During that time, UT has established one of the nation's premier offensive attacks, while rejuvenating a once struggling Longhorns defense into one of the nation's best.

Defensively, Brown has transformed a unit that ranked 85th nationally in total defense (399.2 ypg) in 1997 into a group that led the nation in total defense (236.2 ypg) and led the Big 12 in rushing (89.5 ypg), passing (146.7 ypg) and scoring (13.7 ppg) defense in 2001. That came on the heels of a pair of seasons that saw UT rank sixth nationally in total defense (286.7 ypg) in 1999 and seventh (278.3 ypg) in 2000. The aggressive defensive style of the Brown era has seen the Horns more than double their production in sacks and tackles for loss and significantly increase the number of turnovers forced in the last seven seasons compared to the seven years prior to his arrival.

On offense, the Longhorns have set 23 team records and featured the school's only 3,000-yard passers (Chris Simms, 2002/Major Applewhite, 1999), 2,000-yard rusher (Ricky Williams, 1998) and 1,000-yard receivers (Roy Williams, 2002, 2003/Kwame Cavil, 1999/ Wane McGarity, 1998) in a season. UT became just the second team in NCAA Division I-A history to boast a 2,000-yard rusher and passer as well as a 1,000-yard receiver in 1998. In his career at Texas alone, Brown has become just the second head coach in NCAA Division I-A history to lead a player to a 3,000-yard passing season, a 2,000-yard rushing season and a 1,000-yard receiving season.

Texas also has re-established its home field advantage and, as a result, dominance under Brown. In his seven seasons, the Longhorns have increased their season ticket sales by nearly 27,000, up to a school-best 66,700 in 2004, and set school attendance records while playing in front of sellout crowds in 36 of the last 38 home games (including 28 in a row). With a full house on hand the past six seasons, UT has won 38-of-41 games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, including a streak of 20 consecutive victories (third-longest in UT history) and the longest for UT since it won 42 straight from 1968-76 (No. 6 in NCAA history).

Brown's on-the-field success has had an impact on the student-athletes' future opportunities as well. Two of his Longhorns have been selected in the first round in three of the past four NFL Drafts. When OT Mike Williams (Buffalo Bills) and CB Quentin Jammer (San Diego Chargers) were selected fourth and fifth, respectively, in 2002, it marked the first time in UT history that two Longhorns were chosen among the first five overall picks. Brown's Longhorns featured a pair of first-round picks in 2004 when Roy Williams (seventh pick) was taken by the Detroit Lions and Marcus Tubbs was selected by the Seattle Seahawks (23rd pick). UT had three players selected in the first two rounds of the 2001 NFL Draft. OT Leonard Davis was the second overall pick (Arizona Cardinals) and DT Casey Hampton was taken with the 19th overall selection (Pittsburgh Steelers), while DT Shaun Rogers was chosen in the second round (Detroit Lions). That marked the most Longhorns players chosen in the first two rounds since 1982. Three members of his 1997 Carolina squad were picked in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft, which tied for the most of any collegiate program. His seven players selected in the 1998 NFL Draft were the fourth-most nationally.

In Brown's 21 years as a head coach, the NFL has drafted 67 of his student-athletes, and he has had a player selected in 19 straight drafts. He has had 11 players (seven from UT/four from UNC) selected in the first round in the last seven drafts. Brown has had 63 of his players drafted by the NFL in his last 16 seasons as a head coach and 46 of those selections have come in the first four rounds.

With all of the success on the field, the primary emphasis has remained the same with Brown's squads - maintaining a high level of achievement in the classroom and in the community. Eighty percent of his players at North Carolina received their degrees, and while he has maintained a similar pace at Texas, more than a third of his players at Texas have regularly earned 3.0 grade point averages and achieved spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's and Athletics Director's honor rolls. Brown's life skills program features numerous seminars to prepare student-athletes for life after football, while Longhorns players make countless visits to area children's hospitals and serve as tutors and mentors at schools across Austin.

In 2004, the Longhorns managed their fourth-consecutive 10-win season, while defeating five teams ranked in either the AP Poll or ESPN/USA Today Poll. UT was led by All-Americans on both sides of the ball in senior running back Cedric Benson and senior linebacker Derrick Johnson. Behind Benson, the offense ranked second nationally in rushing offense (302.4 ypg), ninth in total offense (466.3 ypg) and 14th in scoring offense (35.0 ppg). The Longhorns rushed for over 300 yards six times, the most since 1977, and put up at least 400 yards in eight of their 11 games. With Johnson taking the lead, the defense ranked 14th nationally in scoring defense (16.2 ppg), 14th in rushing defense (105.8) and 18th in turnover margin (+7). They held teams to 14 points or less on six different occasions.

Under his guidance in 2003, Texas rallied from a 4-2 start to post six straight victories and finished with a 10-3 record and No. 12 national ranking. The Longhorns were led by a balanced offense and defense that was one of only four programs nationally that ranked among the NCAA's top 25 in total offense and total defense. Texas averaged 232.5 rushing yards per game (8th NCAA) and produced its most yards on the ground (3,023) since 1977. It also averaged 206.6 passing yards per game to mark just the third time in school history that the Horns averaged 200 yards rushing and passing in the same season. Led by its first-ever Butkus Award finalist and consensus first-team All-American, LB Derrick Johnson, UT's defense ranked 25th nationally allowing 329.9 yards per game.

Brown's 2002 squad built on its success of 2001 and found itself once-again mentioned among the national title contenders until late in the season. With an 11-2 record and a No. 6 final ranking, the Horns posted back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in school history and consecutive Top 10 finishes for the first time since 1977-78. Texas capped the year with a 35-20 victory over LSU in the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns also won or shared the Big 12 South title for the third time in the last four seasons.

Led by first-team All-American and Lombardi Trophy finalist DE Cory Redding and first-team All-Big 12 performers LB Derrick Johnson and CB Rod Babers, the Longhorns defense finished the year ranked among the nation's top 16 for the fourth straight year.

On offense, QB Chris Simms and WR Roy Williams had record-setting years and RB Cedric Benson posted a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. Williams and consensus first-team All-American OL Derrick Dockery both earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as the Horns averaged 33.8 points per game (16th NCAA).

In 2001, Brown saw his efforts in rebuilding the UT program into a national power reach new heights and provide promising hope for the future. The Longhorns came within three points of a possible berth in the National Championship game for the first time in decades. Texas opened the season with its first preseason Top Five ranking since 1983 and with wins in its final six games, claimed the Big 12 South title for the second time. The Horns were ranked among the nation's Top 10 in 16 of the 17 polls in 2001 and only a narrow 39-37 defeat at the hands of No. 9 Colorado in the Big 12 Championship game prevented Brown's team from likely playing for the national title. With a 47-43 victory against No. 21 Washington in the Holiday Bowl, Texas posted a school record-tying 11 victories (11-2) for the first time since '83 and just the fifth time in school history. The win also secured the program's first Top 10 finish since that year.

Led by unanimous consensus first-team All-American and UT's first-ever Thorpe Award finalist CB Quentin Jammer and All-Americans LB D.D. Lewis and Redding, the Longhorns topped the nation in total defense (236.2 ypg). Jammer, the first Longhorns defender since Jerry Gray in 1984 to earn unanimous consensus first-team All-America honors, and Lewis shared team MVP honors. The Longhorns were one of only two teams nationally that ranked among the NCAA's top 10 in all five major statistical categories. True freshman LB Derrick Johnson was tabbed The Sporting News' Freshman of the Year and was named the Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP.

Offensively, Texas' balanced attack was led by a passing game that posted the third-most yards (3,083) on school record and a scoring attack that ranked first in the Big 12 and sixth nationally (39.2 ppg). Mike Williams earned first-team All-America honors and was joined by WR Roy Williams on the first-team All-Big 12 squad. True freshman RB Cedric Benson set UT freshman records for rushing yards (1,053) and rushing TDs (12) en route to Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.

In 2000, Brown's youthful Longhorns squad overcame a pair of tough losses as well as injuries that sidelined its first, second and third-string tight ends and slowed its All-America candidate at defensive tackle - Shaun Rogers. Despite starting as many as five true freshmen and featuring a 44-man depth chart that included 36 underclassmen, UT rallied from a 3-2 start to run off six consecutive victories to end the regular season as Big 12 South Champions for the second straight year. UT lost a shootout with No. 8 Oregon in the Holiday Bowl and closed out the year with a 9-3 record (7-1, Big 12) and a final No. 12 national ranking, its best finish in the polls since 1983.

Texas' explosive offense ranked 14th nationally in total offense (439.0 ypg) and eighth in scoring (38.6 ppg.). RB Hodges Mitchell, a first-team All-Big 12 choice for a second consecutive year, led the way. Mitchell rushed for 1,118 yards, and for the second year in a row, established himself as the only player in UT history to gain 1,000 rushing and 300 receiving yards in a season. His path was paved by consensus first-team All-American and Outland Trophy finalist OT Leonard Davis. With the loss of nearly every pass catcher from 1999, the greatest challenge Brown and his offensive staff faced in 2000 was honing the skills of a stable of young wide receivers. That project was a success as true freshmen B.J. Johnson and Roy Williams rewrote the Longhorns record books while each earned second-team Freshman All-America honors.

Texas' revitalized defense was led by two-time first-team All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year DT Casey Hampton. An Outland Trophy semifinalist and first-team All-American in 1999, Hampton became the first defensive lineman in school history to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons and finished his career ranked second on UT's all-time tackles for loss list (54). He was joined by Jammer on the first-team All-Big 12 unit, as Texas led the nation in pass efficiency defense (88.3 rating) and ranked seventh in total defense (278.3 ypg).

Despite the loss of Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, All-Big 12 wide receiver Wane McGarity and four starters from a veteran offensive line, Brown's 1999 squad registered a 9-5 record and claimed the Big 12 South Division Championship. The offense set a school-record with 3,580 passing yards and registered the second-most total yards on school record (5,336). Defensively, UT began its climb back among the nation's best, ranking sixth in total defense (286.7 ypg).

WR Kwame Cavil set UT and Big 12 records with 100 receptions for 1,188 yards en route to second-team All-America and first-team All-Big 12 honors that year. Sophomore quarterback Major Applewhite set UT marks with 3,357 passing yards and 21 TDs while earning co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year recognition. Mitchell became the first back in UT history to rush for 1,000 yards and record 300 receiving yards en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors and earned a spot among the Dr Pepper Doak Walker Award semifinalists. OG Roger Roesler earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition and third-team All-America honors.

DE Aaron Humphrey, who posted 20 sacks in his two years under Brown and finished his career ranked third on UT's all-time TFLs list (50.5), ended his career ranked eighth on the Longhorns all-time sack chart (24.5) and earned Longhorns MVP honors in 1999. DE Cedric Woodard, a 2000 NFL Draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, had 19 TFLs in 1999 and 40 for his career (No. 8 on UT's all-time list).

In 1998, running back Ricky Williams ran away with virtually every major college football award. Williams claimed the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp and Associated Press Player of the Year honors and the Dr Pepper Doak Walker Award as Texas rebounded from a 4-7 season to finish 9-3 and ranked 15th nationally. After starting the year with a 1-2 record, the Longhorns won six consecutive games and eight of their final nine contests, including snapping No. 7 Nebraska's 47-game home winning streak with a 20-16 victory. Brown's first UT team capped the year with a 38-11 victory against No. 25 Mississippi State in the Cotton Bowl, the Longhorns' first New Year's Day bowl victory since 1981.

Williams led the nation in rushing with a school-best 2,124 yards and set a school-record with 28 rushing TDs. The Longhorns tallied the fourth-most yards of offense in school history (5,177). WR Wane McGarity, TE Derek Lewis and offensive linemen Ben Adams and Jay Humphrey all earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for an offense that was among the best in UT history. Adams and Humphrey also were tabbed first-team All-American.

Defensively, the youthful Longhorns featured a predominantly underclassmen unit but re-established themselves after ranking 85th in total defense (399.2 ypg) and 104th in scoring defense (33 ppg) in 1997.

Born in Cookeville, Tenn., Brown was a three-sport star at Putnam County High School, where he lettered three times in football. He went on to attend Vanderbilt (1969-70) and graduated from Florida State. He lettered twice as a running back for the Seminoles in 1972-73. An injury sidelined him for much of the 1973 season and he worked and that led to the start of his coaching career as he became a student coach. He completed his bachelor's degree in education in 1974.

Brown began his full-time coaching career in 1975 at Southern Mississippi, where he worked with the receivers for three seasons. He earned a master's degree in administration from Southern Miss in 1976. Brown then coached the wide receivers at Memphis State in 1978 and at Iowa State in '79. He was promoted to offensive coordinator at Iowa State in 1980, and in his time at Ames, the Cyclones broke 17 school and Big Eight Conference offensive records and produced league leaders in rushing and total offense. Brown went on to lead the quarterbacks at LSU in 1982, when the Tigers went 8-2-1 and played Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

In just his 10th season of full-time coaching, Brown had become a head coach, taking over the Appalachian State program in 1983. At the age of 32, he directed the Mountaineers to their first winning record in four years with a 6-5 slate. After one season, he left to become offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. In his only year on Barry Switzer's staff, the Sooners were 9-2-1, won the Big Eight Championship and earned a berth in the Orange Bowl. Brown helped Oklahoma develop its best passing attack in years, as he coached quarterbacks Danny Bradley, a first-team All-Big Eight selection, and Troy Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl Champion signal caller with the Dallas Cowboys.

Brown became head coach at Tulane in 1985 and quickly went about rejuvenating the Green Wave's sagging football fortunes. Tulane had suffered three consecutive losing seasons before Brown's arrival, but by his third season in 1987, he led the Green Wave to a 6-5 mark and a berth in the Independence Bowl (just the program's fifth bowl game since 1940). That season, the Green Wave set school records for total offense and points, ranking 11th nationally in scoring (32.5 ppg). That remarkable season earned Brown a spot in the Independence Bowl Hall of Honor in 2002. He also served as athletics director his final two years at Tulane.

In 1988, Brown took over a North Carolina program that had suffered two losing seasons in its previous three years and three non-winning seasons in its previous four years. While rebuilding the foundation, Brown's Tar Heels squads posted back-to-back 1-10 seasons in 1988 and '89. In 1990, Carolina was 6-4-1 and the Tar Heels were beginning a run of eight consecutive winning seasons and six bowl game appearances in a row. Brown came to Texas after leading North Carolina to six straight bowl games (UNC won four of them) and eight consecutive winning seasons (the longest streak in modern Tar Heels history). UNC's 54-18 (.750) record during his last six years ranked as the ninth-best nationally during that period. His final two seasons were the most impressive. He compiled a 20-3 (.870) mark and led the Heels to a No. 4 final ranking in the USA Today/ESPN poll and No. 6 ranking by The AP in 1997.

At UNC, Brown recruited and coached several of the finest players in school history. From his 1997 squad, DE Greg Ellis (No. 8, Dallas Cowboys), LB Brian Simmons (No. 17, Cincinnati Bengals) and DT Vonnie Holliday (No. 19, Green Bay Packers) earned All-America recognition and were selected among the first 19 picks in the 1998 NFL Draft.

Along with that trio of first-rounders, Brown also helped develop several other Tar Heels standouts. Marcus Jones, a consensus first-team All-America defensive tackle, earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1995. Corey Holliday, the leading receiver in Tar Heels history, was a CFA/Hitachi Scholar-Athlete and is a former member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dwight Hollier, who made more than 500 tackles during his Tar Heels career, also played in the NFL. Natrone Means, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his final two seasons at UNC, went on to lead the San Diego Chargers to Super Bowl XXIX and the Jacksonville Jaguars to the 1996 AFC title game.

QBs Jason Stanicek and Mike Thomas combined to rewrite Carolina's passing and total offense records. CB Thomas Smith came to UNC in 1989 as a walk-on from a small high school in North Carolina and departed as a first-round pick of the AFC Champion Buffalo Bills. RB Leon Johnson, one of the premier all-purpose offensive threats in ACC history, is a member of the San Diego Chargers in his eighth NFL season in 2004. CB Dr Bly, a three-time All-American who recorded an ACC-record 20 interceptions during his career, is in his seventh NFL season, the last two with the Detroit Lions. Freddie Jones, a second-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1997, is one of the NFL's top pass-catching tight ends who currently is a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
After leading UNC to a 10-1 regular season record and a No. 6 national ranking, Brown accepted the head coaching position at Texas on Dec. 4, 1997.

One of the most respected coaches in the college game, Brown has served on numerous national committees. Currently, he is a member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee and the NCAA Football Issues Committee. He has been chairman of the Football Coaches' Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the College Football Association. A past member of the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) Ethics Committee, Brown also has served on the AFCA Public Relations Committee. He has been invited to coach in five postseason all-star games, including the Japan Bowl, Hula Bowl (twice) and East-West Shrine Game (twice).
He and his wife, Sally, have four children - Matt, Katherine, Barbara and Chris. Sally enthusiastically involves herself in football team activities. In 1999, she retired as president of Marin Development in North Carolina. She is past president of the Public, Private Partnership (PPP), an organization that fostered improved relations between the University of North Carolina and the town of Chapel Hill. She also volunteered time to chair the fund-raising efforts for the UNC Black Cultural Center and was a member of a Carolina Alumni Advisory Committee.

In Austin, the Browns continue to be active in community affairs, serving as honorary co-chairpersons of the Capital Campaign for the Helping Hands of Austin. The Brown's have been instrumental in the opening of The Rise School of Austin (an early childhood education program that integrates children who have disabilities with their typically developing peers) and serve on the schools Board of Directors. They lent their name along with legendary UT QB James Street to the First Annual James Street/Mack Brown Golf Tournament benefiting The Rise School.

The Brown's recently endorsed new Texas license plate, which is designed to raise public awareness for child abuse and neglect and the need for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers. After the Bonfire tragedy at Texas A&M in 1999, the couple initiated a blood drive on the UT campus that attracted more than 250 blood donors.