North Carolina finalizing deal to hire Bill Belichick as next head coach

North Carolina finalizing deal to hire Bill Belichick as next head coach

Over two weeks after parting ways with Mack Brown, North Carolina is finalizing a deal to hire former longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest football coach ever, as its next head coach, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was among the first to report Wednesday.

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Former #Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the greatest coach of all time, will become the next coach at the University of North Carolina, sources say. The deal is done.

From Super Bowls to college football. Just like Bill Walsh. Just like Deion Sanders. Now, Belichick. pic.twitter.com/OtY4Ekbqgv

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 11, 2024

Belichick, 72, isn’t the only head coach to ever transition from the NFL to college at one point in their careers. Once upon a time, a much younger Nick Saban did it; a few others are Bill O’Brien, Lane Kiffin, Steve Spurrier and Jim Mora, among others.

Belichick is obviously the most successful NFL coach to go back to college. He’s one of the most successful coaches ever–compiling a 302-165 (.647) record with eight Super Bowls and three AP NFL Coach of the Year awards in nearly five decades, both as an assistant and head coach.

On The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, Belichick described his vision for what his program would look like if he was ever the head coach for a college program.

“If I was in a college program, then 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 the end of their college career or at the end of their pro career.

“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 business. I feel very confident that I have the contacts in the National Football League to pave the way for those players that would have the ability to have the opportunity to compete in the National Football League. They would be ready for it. I have no doubt about that.”

"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..

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

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 9, 2024

Julius Peppers Wants Steve Wilks To Get The Head Coaching Job At North Carolina

The landscape has changed so much in college athletics with NIL and the transfer portal. It’s a free agent frenzy every year on top of recruiting on top of making sure these student-athletes succeed in the classroom. So I’m very fascinated to see how Belichick adjusts to this as one of the smartest football minds ever.

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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

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