Mack Brown tries to set the record straight on the end of his tenure at Texas

There is no denying that Mack Brown is one of the all-time great head coaches in the history of the Texas Longhorns football program.

Between leading the Horns to the 2005 BCS National Championship and coaching legends like Colt McCoy, Vince Young, and Cedric Benson, Brown did a little bit of it all on the 40 Acres.

However, after Brown lost the 2009 National Championship to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the true start of Nick Saban's ownership of college football, there were a few lost years for the Longhorns with him as head coach.

Over his last four years with the Horns, Brown went 30-21, winning just two postseason bowl games and failing to secure any Big 12 conference titles. Many fans point to this stretch of Brown's tenure as the temporary downfall of Texas football, followed by the disastrous years of Texas being coached by Charlie Strong and Tom Herman before Steve Sarkisian took over in 2021.

Between blaming him for just sticking around to prove he could win another national title and accusing him of simply wanting the biggest possible paychecks, Longhorn Nation became disenchanted by Brown's presence.

Yet, in a recent interview, Brown tried to set the record straight, refusing to say that he stayed past his welcome in Austin for selfish reasons.

"I had a couple opportunities to leave and go to another school," Brown said on The Stampede. "Because of loyalty, I decided not to, and it would have been best for me and my family."

Mack Brown says leaving Texas earlier would have been better

One thing is clear: Brown leaving Texas earlier than 2014 would have been better for everyone involved, but for the former Longhorn head coach to say that he only stayed because of loyalty to the players feels like a massive stretch.

"Fans have to understand if it's best for you and your profession to take another job, you're gonna take it," Brown continued. "As I look back, there were a couple of situations where I absolutely should have gone to take another job."

After losing the 2009 National Championship and falling well short of expectations from 2010 through 2013, Brown was ushered out and given the chance to announce his resignation from Texas, instead of being outright fired.

"I was loyal to the players, I was loyal to the place, and then it doesn't work for you later because you stayed too long," Brown said.

During his tenure at Texas, Brown became a beloved figure on the 40 Acres, leading the Longhorns to a 206-158 overall record, a National Championship, and two Big 12 titles. However, those last few years with the Horns left a stain on the Texas football program and seem to have left a bad taste in Brown's mouth as well.

Also read: 3 reasons why Steve Sarkisian and Texas should not hire Mack Brown in any role

After leaving Texas following the 2013 season, Brown returned to the UNC Tar Heels, leading the program to a 113-79-1 overall record before he was fired. Since then, he has seemed to return to Austin and his love for the Horns, but there is still a sense of what could have been if he had just left the program after 2009.

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