Could Bill Belichick’s potential return to coaching come in the college ranks?
According to multiple reports, Belichick has at least spoken with North Carolina representatives about the school’s open head coaching job. The former New England Patriots head coach has been out of coaching during the 2024 season since parting ways with the Patriots at the end of 2023.
However, it seems wise to temper your expectations for Belichick’s candidacy, at least according to Andrew Carter of The News & Observer.
Source confirms @InsideCarolina report that Bill Belichick interviewed for UNC’s head coaching vacancy.
“He blew them away in the interview.”
Am told Belichick’s interest is high, and genuine. But extremely unlikely to happen due to his age (72) and lack of college experience.
— Andrew Carter (@_andrewcarter) December 5, 2024
North Carolina fired coach Mack Brown at the end of the season and Brown will not coach the Tar Heels’ bowl game. Brown was in his second stint with the school.
Belichick, 72, is approximately eight months younger than Brown. He has never coached college football before, though his father Steve was a longtime college coach and spent over 30 years at Navy. Belichick’s son, Steve, is in his first season as the defensive coordinator at Washington, and Bill is also very good friends with former Alabama coach Nick Saban. If there was anything Belichick needed to know about the current state of college football, we’re betting Saban would not be shy sharing that information.
The Patriots won six Super Bowls during Belichick’s 24 seasons with the team. The team’s last title came at the end of the 2018 season and New England missed the playoffs in each of Belichick’s final two seasons with the team. New England went 266-121 over Belichick’s time with the team.
Belichick has been open to continuing his coaching career since leaving the Patriots and has made regular appearances on ESPN’s “Manningcast” during Monday Night Football games this season.
Belichick’s conversations with UNC make it clear that North Carolina is casting a wide net as Brown’s successor. Over the weekend, former Atlanta Falcons head coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said he wouldn’t be a candidate for the job. Smith is a North Carolina alum and in his first season with Steelers.
Brown was hired in 2019 after a five-year break from coaching following his departure from Texas at the end of the 2013 season. North Carolina won at least six games in each of his six seasons with the school, but the team went just 6-6 in 2024 after going 9-5 in 2022. Brown was North Carolina’s head coach from 1988 through 1997 before taking the Texas job.