The widespread, dismissive reaction to the very premise of Bill Belichick coaching the North Carolina Tar Heels? That was so last week.
This week it’s much more real. The potential bombshell move of the most successful coach in NFL history to a middle-tier Atlantic Coast Conference program has not been dismissed and cannot be dismissed. At least not yet.
“We’ll see,” The Hoodie Himself said on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show on Monday. “We’ll see.”
But that note of caution ended a 15-minute appearance that made this all seem quite serious. It revealed how far down the road Belichick is with North Carolina, and how much thought he’s put into coaching college ball for the first time in his 72-year life.
ESPN had earlier Monday reported that Belichick met for five hours Sunday with North Carolina chancellor Lee Roberts. And Belichick described both a vision and a potential recruiting pitch for what his college program would look like.
Bill Belichick emphasized "IF" he was coaching in a college program, it would be "a professional program." 👀 @PatMcAfeeShow
— ESPN (@espn) December 9, 2024
"The college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that have the ability to play in the NFL." pic.twitter.com/p2raPzm2DN
“Capital letters, IF, I-F, I was in a college program, it would be a pipeline for the NFL,” Belichick said. “It would be an NFL program at the college level and an education that would get them ready for life after football. [Players] would be ready for [the NFL]. It would be an NFL program, but not at the NFL level.”
It’s possible Belichick is carrying out a convincing play-action fake to put some urgency in NFL franchises to come hire him right now (the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints have already fired their coaches and could have discussions with him). It’s possible North Carolina is nothing but a useful negotiating tool for him. But it seems increasingly realistic that arguably the most incredible coaching move in college football history is close to happening.
People thought Deion Sanders to the Colorado Buffaloes was a wild departure from the college football norm? Belichick to North Carolina would top it, for different reasons.
As of this past weekend, there were questions of alignment, though. Multiple sources with insight into Carolina’s search to replace Mack Brown describe an aura of conflicting ideas and agendas.
“There’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” one source says. “North Carolina is making Auburn look reasonable right now.”
On one track, there is respected longtime athletic director Bubba Cunningham. On another track, there are other university administrators—notably board of trustees chairman John Preyer, who has a history of heavy-handed commentary and actions regarding athletics.
Preyer might not be going rogue, per se, but sources say he has been the point man with Belichick and is not operating in full harmony with Cunningham. Preyer had previously publicly blasted Cunningham for how he fired Brown last month, calling it “shameful.” He also has been critical of the ACC, and the UNC board sought an audit of athletic department spending.
So there already was tension before this coaching search began. That seems to have intensified.
Cunningham’s version of the search was pretty conventional, centering on candidates with head coaching experience and college experience. The Tulane Green Wave’s Jon Sumrall had at least one conversation with UNC officials, as did Army Black Knights coach Jeff Monken. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach (and UNC graduate) Arthur Smith was an early name in the mix.
But Sumrall withdrew his name from consideration on Sunday. Other potential candidates such as the Iowa State Cyclones’ Matt Campbell and Liberty Flames’ Jamey Chadwell are not going to pursue the job, sources say.
That could be because they see this increasingly lining up for Belichick. Put it this way: Nobody else is in the forefront for the job at the moment.
If it happens, Belichick might be the oldest hire in FBS history at 72. It certainly would be the most-decorated NFL hire in FBS history.
A lot of people have questioned Belichick’s ability to relate to teenagers in recruiting. They’ve got it wrong. A coach who has no track record needs relatability, not this guy.
If those doubting that Belichick could recruit watched his interview with McAfee, they saw the best possible recruiting pitch on a shelf behind Belichick. There sat three of his six Lombardi Trophies for winning the Super Bowl. If getting developing players ready for the NFL is the best way to recruit elite high school talent, who has more street cred than Belichick?
If this happens, it seems highly likely Belichick would largely entrust the recruiting to one set of staffers and the coaching to another. That’s largely possible under modern NCAA rules that have enlarged staff sizes and freed up responsibilities.
The potential UNC plan: Recruiters get the players and deliver them to an NFL Lite staff (one that probably would include Belichick's son, Stephen, currently the defensive coordinator of the Washington Huskies). Belichick can largely let the talent come to him. Sanders doesn’t make home recruiting visits for Colorado, and Belichick might not need to make them, either.
He’s a master at player evaluation, player development and football strategy. Surround Belichick with player procurement experts and let him do what he does best.
North Carolina would need to make a full commitment to funding and staffing its NIL operation, playing at the same level as the top SEC and ACC football brands. And it might need to make a commitment to Stephen Belichick as a successor-in-waiting. It seems like a worthwhile gamble.
North Carolina football has rarely been more than an occasional player on the national level, serving mostly as something for fans to watch while waiting for basketball season. But the sport’s importance to the overall athletic department is abundantly clear. If Carolina finally wants to take an all-in swing at big-time football status, a legendary coach might be poised to fall into its baby-blue lap.
What seemed like a flight of fantasy last week is much more real this week. The Tar Heels shouldn't let this opportunity to reinvent their football program slip away.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Bill Belichick Coaching North Carolina Makes Sense.
