The North Carolina Tar Heels have had the natural ebbs and flows of a non-powerhouse ACC football team, enjoying periods of sustained success and years in the dregs of college football.
So when the Tar Heels reached their nadir with a 2-9 2018 campaign, they turned to a familiar face, former head coach Mack Brown, who had eight straight winning seasons in Chapel Hill in the 1990s.
Since then, Brown has helped the Tar Heels rebound, putting together four winning seasons in five years.
But Brown is the oldest head coach in the FBS, so how does North Carolina consider that in his salary and contract?
Mack Brown’s Salary and Contract in 2024
Brown has one of the most unique contracts in college football. His initial base salary when hired in November 2018 was $750,000. If that seems low, it’s because it is.
Brown’s contract has always been heavily laden with incentives.
While his base salary was low, Brown was given $2 million in supplemental compensation. On top of that, he had a $200,000 contract with Nike, got $500,000 for doing the Coaches Show, and $50,000 for expenses, bringing the contract’s total up to $3.5 million.
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Brown has signed multiple extensions since then, most tacking on a year or two and bumping his pay slightly. The most recent extension, signed in February of 2023, moved his total compensation up to $5 million and signed him through the 2028 season.
Brown’s current contract has a base salary of just $900,000 with a boosted $3.3 million in supplemental compensation. His $500,000 Coaches Show deal with Learfield and $200,000 Nike deal are unchanged from his initial contract, though the original $50,000 annual allowance has doubled to $100,000.
Here’s why Brown’s base salary is so low. His buyout is 100% of his base salary only, meaning North Carolina would only pay him about $2.7 million if he were fired after the 2025 season. That makes it one of the most team-friendly deals on the market, probably because Brown is older and, at this point, he pretty much has tenure.
That’s a far cry from the $12 million the Tar Heels had to pay Larry Fedora when they fired him.
While the base salary is different, the bonus structure is fairly standard.
Brown is compensated in the form of bonuses for achieving the following criteria:
- ACC Championship Game appearance: $200,000
- ACC Championship: $250,000
- Top 25 finish in CFP Poll: $50,000 (increased to $100,000 if top 15)
- Non-New Year’s 6 Bowl Game appearance: $75,000
- New Year’s 6 Bowl Game appearance: $200,000
- College Football Playoff appearance: $100,000 (in addition to NY6 payout)
- National Championship Game appearance: $200,000
- National Championship: $200,000
Brown has achieved a few of these in his time at North Carolina, but he also has some unique perks with the Tar Heel brand.
Brown’s Net Worth
Brown’s net worth is contested, but most agree it’s in the range of $8 million. His contract contributes to the majority of that, but he also enjoys some extra perks as a result of where he coaches.
More specifically, Brown has access to a highly-coveted brand at North Carolina.
Since the Tar Heels are a Jordan Brand school and alma mater of the legendary Michael Jordan, Brown enjoys quite a few brand-related perks.
Despite being the oldest head coach in FBS football, he has embraced sneaker culture, often donning Jordan shoes that can go for several thousand dollars a pair.
Like his players, Brown has access to some of the rarer Air Jordans, all for free. He also has many additional perks, which are listed below:
- “At least one” automobile, provided by the university.
- Tickets to all home and away football games, including bowl games: Four guaranteed per game and access to up to 10 more.
- Tickets (4) to all home Tar Heel sporting events
- A personal suite for home football games and access to the Athletic Director’s suite for away games.
- 25 hours of access per year to a private jet.
Brown has more unique perks than most other coaches, and perhaps the 73-year-old enjoys that about his contract, even if he isn’t among the highest-paid coaches in the ACC.
The gig seems to work for Brown, who will almost certainly be at North Carolina until he retires from coaching.
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