NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Mack Brown knows firsthand what type of player Drake Maye can be. Before the New England Patriots selected Maye in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Brown coached Maye at North Carolina.
Next week, Maye will play in the first Super Bowl of his career. While Maye reached the game’s biggest stage in his second season in the NFL, Brown was always confident his former quarterback would find success at the next level.
“I told the scouts when they came by that he was a Super Bowl guy, that he would win a Super Bowl,” Brown told WRAL. “I didn’t know he would have the chance to become the second youngest player to achieve such a feat.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye looks towards his bench during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship football game against the Denver Broncos in Denver, Colorado on January 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Maye finished his two-year career as the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback with 62 touchdowns. He threw for 8,018 yards in his three years in a North Carolina uniform.
PATRIOTS’ DRAKE MAYE MISSES PRACTICE DUE TO INJURY AND ILLNESS ONLY 9 DAYS BEFORE SUPER BOWL
Before returning to UNC, Brown spent 16 years at Texas, where he coached several highly touted NFL quarterbacks, including Vince Young and Colt McCoy. Brown believes Maye is on a path that could eventually place him among the greatest of all time.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the AFC NFL Championship football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
“I think Drake has an advantage right now, I hope he wins this one, if he doesn’t then there’s another Super Bowl for Drake,” Brown said. “I think Drake will not only be one of the best I’ve ever coached, but one of the best to ever play the game.”
UNC went 17-10 with Maye as its starting quarterback, highlighted by an appearance in the 2022 ACC Championship Game under Brown.
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye (10) and head coach Mack Brown walk the sidelines against South Carolina at Bank of America Stadium on September 2, 2023. (Carlos Saavedra/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
In his first season under coach Mike Vrabel, Maye posted the league’s best completion percentage and was recognized as an MVP finalist.
North Carolina parted ways with Brown in 2024.
“Even though it wasn’t the ideal time or the way I imagined going out, no time will ever be the ideal time,” Brown said in a statement after the announcement that he would not return to Chapel Hill for another season. “I spent 16 seasons at North Carolina and will always cherish the memories and relationships that Sally and I built as head coach.”
North Carolina then hired former NFL coach Bill Belichick.
The Patriots and Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl LX on February 8.
