A report came out on Wednesday stating that North Carolina was eyeing Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to replace Mack Brown, who it fired on Tuesday after six years as the program's head football coach.

Here's a snippet of reactions on social media to the announcement by North Carolina that Mack Brown won't return in 2025.

Brown, 73, has three years left on his contract. The decision to part ways comes amid a rollercoaster final season in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels lost four consecutive games, including an embarrassing 70-50 loss to James Madison in September, regrouped to win three in a row and then lost to Boston College 41-21 on Saturday.

One day after North Carolina fired coach Mack Brown following a 6–5 start to the season, multiple coaching candidates have popped up as possible replacements, including Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, On3 Sports ' Andy Staples speculated Tuesday.

North Carolina coach Mack Brown won’t return for the 2025 season. The school announced the move Tuesday with a statement from athletic director Bubba Cunningham.

The North Carolina job is open. Mack Brown was fired on Tuesday, a day after saying he intended to return next season. Turns out, the school wanted to go in a new direction. Brown will still coach the finale against NC State.

Mack Brown won’t be back at North Carolina for the 2025 season after all. A day after Brown said that he intended to return next season, UNC said it is firing the longtime coach. Brown will still coach in the team's season finale against NC State on Saturday.

Mack Brown 's legendary run in Austin ended in 2013 after 16 seasons with the Texas Longhorns. Brown won't exceed 16 seasons in Chapel Hill after Tuesday's dismissal as head coach at North Carolina.

With the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill making the decision to move on from Mack Brown, the question of what’s next comes naturally. Brown, 73, is UNC’s all-time leader in wins and games coached.