North Carolina fires Mack Brown

Driving the news: UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham informed Brown, who is in his second stint as UNC's coach, on Monday of the decision.

• Brown still has three years left on his contract, and the school said the funds to terminate the contract will come from the athletics departments and not from state funds.
• What's next: Cunningham and the school's chancellor, Lee Roberts, will be responsible for finding Brown's replacement.
• There will be urgency to find a replacement, with recruits expected to make final decisions on Dec. 4 and the transfer window opening on Dec. 9.

State of play: Brown — who won a national championship at Texas in 2005 — leaves UNC as one of its most successful coaches, winning the most games in the program's history.

• His first run at the school lasted from 1988 until 1997, and he took the school to two top 10 rankings in the '90s.
• His second stint at UNC began in 2018 and was marked by nabbing top-tier talent like quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye.
• But the program never got over the hump of winning an ACC Championship and the team's performances slipped in the past year, including a bad loss to N.C. State last year and a 70-50 loss to James Madison this season.

What they're saying: "While this was not the perfect time and way in which I imagined going out, no time will ever be the perfect time," Brown told CBS Sports in a statement.

• "I've spent 16 seasons at North Carolina and will always cherish the memories and relationships Sally [Brown's wife] and I have built while serving as head coach. We've had the chance to coach and mentor some great young men, and we'll miss having the opportunity to do that in the future."