The first thing Mack wants to do he said when he gets back to Austin is to socialize again with old pals Dodds and "CDC." It's pretty plain to see what is going on. Mack is moving back to Austin because he is totally irrelevant in Chappel Hill. He was not only fired, but was replaced by someone that is totally is sucking the oxygen out of that place.
Mack's ego can't stand that. He is coming back to Austin to try and restore his relevance again in some way, with people that can help him do that. This ends in either he gets some kind of cushy deal with UT, or he goes back to television, which most likely means at ESPN. Maybe he would try to do both.
I listen to Mack talk about how DKR was 72 when Mack got here and now, I am 73. Royal retired from coaching at the ripe old age of 52. He served as AD for four years and that was pretty much it. Royal didn't like what was going on with college football then. He sure wouldn't like it now.
All Mack cares about is staying in the spotlight, no matter how or where. He proved that in the past and is doing so now.