Legendary former NFL coach Bill Belichick was reported to have had discussions earlier this week with the University of North Carolina about the Tar Heels’ head coaching job. The Tar Heels parted ways with their own legend in two-time head coach Mac Brown, who was fired last week but allowed to coach the final regular season game against rival NC State.
Former Browns head coach and assistant coach on Brown’s staff, Freddie Kitchens, will be the interim head coach for the Tar Heels bowl game.
Belichick, who was let go by the Patriots after the 2023 season, is 72 and would be the oldest head coach in FBS if he is hired. Many speculate that if Belichick joins the college ranks, he will bring in his son, Steve Belichick, who is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington.
After a storied 24-year run leading the Patriots, Belichick has not joined a new team since his firing opting to make the media rounds including appearances on the popular ManningCast on Monday Night Football and the Pat McAfee Show.
Despite never coaching in the college ranks, Belichick is reported to be genuinely interested in the Carolina job. As for UNC, they had initial interest in Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, a UNC alum, but ultimately both sides moved off of serious discussions.
Other reported candidates for the job include Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, and former Panthers and Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how Belichick would handle the challenge of managing a college football program in the new NIL era. Considering college athletics are trending towards more of a professional style setup with revenue sharing it could be to Belichick’s advantage as he also served as the Patriots de facto GM during his time in New England.
Recruiting would be a new challenge for Belichick but with his son Steve’s experience in the college game combined with the expectations that Belichick would put together a strong coaching staff, recruiting concerns might be overstated.
UNC hiring Belichick would undoubtedly be the most exciting hire in the college ranks this offseason and would provide UNC with the energetic jolt that the program needs at this point.
Stay tuned, things could get interesting in the state of North Carolina in these coming weeks.
