North Carolina has its new head coach. And it’s going from a 73-year old to a 72-year old.
UNC officially announced the hiring of Bill Belichick as its new head coach on Wednesday night.
Welcome to Chapel Hill, Bill Belichick!
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 12, 2024
The eight-time Super Bowl Champion has officially been named our next @UNCFootball Head Coach. #GoHeels x #ChapelBill pic.twitter.com/cnngQI7gnC
While Belichick is considered one of the greatest NFL coaches ever, having led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl championships as head coach, he's never coached in the college game, even as an assistant. During an interview with the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, Belichick spoke about how college football is becoming more like the NFL and said that he would run his program like an NFL program if he was to become a college coach.
"IF I was in a College program it would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 9, 2024
It would be a professional program at the College level..
I don't have any doubt that the players would be ready for the NFL" ~ Bill Belichick #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/JyMDtzs2yR
"I am excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill,” Belichick said in a statement. “I grew up around college football with my Dad and treasured those times. I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill.”
Belichick has agreed to a five-year deal with UNC, according to the program’s official release. A previous report by The Athletic’s Brendan Marks and Ralph D. Russo indicated that Belichick would make $10 million per year, though that report said Belichick was expected to sign a three-year deal; Mack Brown, who was fired last month after six years as the Tar Heels’ head coach, made just $5 million per year.
Belichick, who has spent this year working in media after 24 years as the head coach of the Patriots, first interviewed for the job last week and quickly emerged as the leading candidate. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that former Alabama and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who currently works for the Cleveland Browns as a passing game specialist, was the runner-up for the job. Per Inside Carolina, UNC's search process also included discussions with Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, Army coach Jeff Monken, NFL coaching veteran Steve Wilks, Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann and UNC interim coach Freddie Kitchens.
