Courtesy of North Carolina Athletics
A week ago we were scoffing at the prospects of Bill Belichick taking over at the University of North Carolina after a report surfaced that he interviewed with the school last week. Well, the joke is on us because tonight Bill Belichick came to terms on a five year deal to become the school’s head football coach. The The deal is valued at $50 million over five years according to The Athletic.
The 72 year old Belichick will be taking over for 73 year old Mack Brown who was relieved of his duties with two weeks left in the season. Belichick released a statement after agreeing to terms with the school.
“I am excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill,” Belichick said in the announcement. “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 takes over a UNC program that has not won a conference title since 1980. The school has made 14 bowl appearances since 2008 but has only had one 10 win season and that was in 1997.
After mutually parting ways with the Patriots after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles, Belichick failed to land a job in the NFL last off-season. According to reports, he became disillusioned with the process and that resentment is partly why he has decided to coach college football.
Belichick’s father Steve was an assistant at North Carolina from 1953 to 1955. Belichick told the interview committee that he learned at an early age that “Duke Sucks.”
Despite having never coached college football, Belichick talked about being intrigued by the challenge on Monday during his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
“The college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL,” he said. “It would be a professional program, training, nutrition, scheme, coaching, techniques that would transfer to the NFL. It would be an NFL program at a college level and an education that would get the players ready for their career after football, whether that was (at) the end of their college career or at the end of their pro career.”
“But it would be geared toward developing the player, time management, discipline, structure and all that, that would be life skills, regardless of whether they’re in the NFL or somewhere in the business.”
Belichick will now get to test his theory. It will be a much different world than what he is used to in the NFL. The college football coaching calendar is year round. Coaches are constantly recruiting, meeting with boosters and making various appearances.
To help Belichick navigate all of this will be long time NFL front office executive and top lieutenant Mike Lombardi. Lombardi will be the general manager of the football program. Lombardi’s only collegiate experience came as a recruiting coordinator at UNLV in the early 1980s. His job will be to manage NIL money and how it is distributed among other things.
As for a coaching staff, Belichick’s son Steve is expected to join the staff and former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is also expected to join. Current Patriots safeties coach Brian Belichick is also a possibility. Offensively, it is too early to tell if Belichick would be looking to reunite with former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Belichick could opt for a young, innovative mind more in tune with today’s spread offenses. That would help appeal to young quarterbacks like quarterback Bryce Baker. The four-star recruit originally committed to North Carolina but has not signed his letter of intent.
It is worth noting that North Carolina’s current recruiting class is ranked 90th in the country.
It is still hard to believe that Bill Belichick is coaching college football. How long he stays in college remains to be seen. For now, buckle up! This could be a wild ride in the coming years.