Bill Belichick's hire at UNC came as a massive surprise and the football world could barely believe its eyes when the news broke in December. It turns out the Tar Heels had their eyes on another NFL coach to succeed Mack Brown before Belichick came into play.
In a lengthy exposé detailing how the talks to hire Belichick unfolded, ESPN reported UNC AD Bubba Cunningham had Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in mind to take over the football program before Brown's departure became official.
"In truth, however, Cunningham had his sights set on another former NFL head coach -- former UNC player and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith," the report reads. "Cunningham first reached out to Smith in early November, simply to gauge his interest in a job that was not yet officially open. No interviews took place, though the two sides kept in touch. Smith was intrigued, and he was seen as a consensus candidate at UNC, with support from Roberts and board members. 'They were all hopeful they could lure Smith back to Chapel Hill, and then whether it was Belichick or anybody else, it would have been a moot point. Smith is who they wanted,' one source said."
Smith reportedly grew uncomfortable with the process as UNC had reached out before an official decision had been made on the incumbent Brown. At that point the search widened and Belichick's name grew more popular with the university board members. The rest, as they say, is history.
it's an interesting sliding doors moment. Belichick took the UNC job before the NFL hiring cycle really began. If the Tar Heels had chosen Smith instead of Belichick, would he have ended up coaching an NFL team again? It's impossible to say but fascinating to wonder about.
What could have been. Instead, Belichick will undergo his first college season as a head coach while Smith prepares to scheme the Steelers' offense again in 2025.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as North Carolina AD Preferred NFL OC for Head Coaching Job Before Bill Belichick Hire.
