Bill Belichick to Trade NFL for ACC as North Carolina Coach

NFL coach Bill Belichick is set to take the reins at the University of North Carolina. 

The six-time Super Bowl-winning coach is set to lead the Tar Heels football program, marking his first college coaching experience. Belichick expected to sign a five-year deal, contingent upon approval by the university’s board of trustees. 

Belichick is set to replace Mack Brown, who served as UNC’s head coach for a combined 16 seasons over two separate tenures. The move also carries a personal connection for Belichick, as his father, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach at UNC in the early 1950s before spending over three decades at Navy.

During the coaching search, UNC considered several high-profile candidates, including Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, Army’s Jeff Monken, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and former NFL coach Steve Wilks. The final decision reportedly came down to Belichick and Tommy Rees, a 32-year-old assistant with the Cleveland Browns.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Belichick shared his aspirations for creating a pipeline between college football and the professional ranks. 

“It would be a professional program with training, nutrition, scheme, and coaching techniques that would transfer to the NFL,” Belichick said. “… I feel very confident that I have the contacts in the NFL to pave the way for those players who would have the ability to compete in the NFL. They would be ready for it. It would be an NFL program, but not at the NFL level.”

“It would be geared toward developing time management, discipline, structure, and life skills, regardless of whether it’s for the NFL or somewhere in business.”