Bill Belichick is considered the best NFL head coach of all-time. His dynasty with the Patriots from 2000-23 resulted in six Super Bowls.
All good things must come to an end, though. Belichick and the New England front office no longer saw eye-to-eye, resulting in Belichick and the franchise agreeing to part ways. The head coach went through the 2024 coaching search and was linked to the Falcons opening. It was eventually filled with Raheem Morris leaving Belichick to spend the 2024-2025 season doing TV analysis.
The future Hall of Fame coach has had enough of the media market and is itching to get back into coaching. While he was expected to be involved in the upcoming NFL coaching carousel, his name was actually linked to a college team. The University of North Carolina is coming off a 6-6 season and former head coach Mack Brown’s firing. Now, UNC is talking with Belichick about its vacancy.
Here are the latest rumors linking Belichick to the Tar Heels.
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Bill Belichick news: Latest updates, rumors on UNC head coaching job
Belichick agrees to deal with North Carolina
Date: Dec. 11
Source: Adam Schefter, Pete Thamel, Chris Low
Belichick and North Carolina are finalizing a deal, according to ESPN. After reports earlier Monday that an agreement still had hurdles to clear, Belichick is on the doorstep of officially being named the Tar Heels’ head coach at age 72.
Talks remain ongoing
Date: Dec. 11
Source: Pat Forde
Forde and Albert Breer say that their sources indicate that there has been a strong push over the last 24 hours to get a financial agreement in place between UNC and Belichick. Forde adds that an emergency board of trustees meeting has not been called as of 3 p.m. ET, two hours after the initial reports said there had been.
Former UNC QB weighs in
Date: Dec. 11
Source: Patriots QB Drake Maye
Maye and Belichick were two passing ships in New England. The head coach mutually agree to part ways with the org and the Patriots drafted Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Given the obvious indirect connection, though, Maye was asked about what he thought of the potential move.
“Obviously a legendary coach with the success he had here, and what a great place Chapel Hill is. So any time you have a legendary NFL coach going back to college, I think it’s cool. It’s pretty interesting. It’s not official yet, but I think Coach Belichick would love Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill is a great spot. So nothing official, but a cool thing for a Hall of Fame coach to go back and coach some college kids.
I’m sure they’ll be excited. Coach Belichick, defensive mind, I’m sure he’ll get that defense rolling. I think it’s a great spot and a great coaching job. I can’t blame him. It’s an awesome place.”
‘Ball is in Belichick’s court’
Date: Dec. 11
Source: Pete Thamel/Chris Low, ESPN
Sources have told ESPN that UNC is trying to close a deal with Belichick, but there are still issues to resolve. The sources did specify that the “ball is in Belichick’s court,” seemingly suggesting that North Carolina is on board with his becoming the school’s next head football coach. Some of the reported issues include his son’s role with the team, NIL resources and what Belichick’s salary could be.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Belichick’s initial interview was then followed up by a five-hour meeting on Sunday.
It sounds like a deal is being finalized
Date: Dec. 11
Source: Brett McMurphy
McMurphy reiterates that a deal is being finalized between UNC and Belichick, further crediting Inside Carolina:
UNC finalizing deal to hire former Patriots coach Bill Belichick as Tar Heels’ new coach, @InsideCarolina reports
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 11, 2024
No emergency Trustees meeting?
Date: Dec. 11
Source: The Athletic
The Belichick situation has everyone scrambling for the latest news. Sources of The Athletic writer Brendan Marks have said that an emergency meeting for the Board of Trustees has not yet been called. Marks isn’t ruling out that a Belichick resolution could come today but notes that more hurdles remain, and a Trustee meeting currently isn’t happening.
UNC finalizing deal to make Belichick new head football coach
Date: Dec. 11
Source: Inside Carolina
InsideCarolina, who broke the initial report of Belichick interviewing with the school, is reporting that its sources are saying that the Board of Trustees emergency meeting on Wednesday is indeed to come up with an agreement and deal to make Belichick the school’s next head football coach. Other reports suggested that the meeting was to hire a women’s soccer coach, but the meeting could be for both.
UNC Board of Trustees to meet on Wednesday
Date: Dec. 11
Source: Brian Murphy
Per Murphy’s sources, the UNC Board of Trustees is meeting on Wednesday. This isn’t necessarily to name Belichick as head coach, but a meeting of the Board would be an important step in any head coaching choice. Also, for what it is worth, one of Connolly’s reports said there was initial pushback from the Board, so if that has eased, Belichick to UNC could gain more traction.
No deal yet for either side
Date: Dec. 10
Source: The Athletic
Connolly’s report that Belichick had agreed to become the head coach and was just waiting on UNC, wasn’t confirmed by any other sources. The Athletic put out a story about interest on both sides but specified that at this time, there is no deal in place. Terms are being negotiated, so a deal isn’t off the table, but there really hasn’t been a change.
Belichick has agreed to UNC job, sent 400-page plan to program
Date: Dec. 10
Source: Ollie Connolly
Connolly is back again with the news. He is the only person saying that Belichick has agreed to take the job. In the head coach’s acceptance, he passed along a 400-page document detailing his stipulations and vision for the program that would need to be agreed upon by UNC.
MORE: Revisiting Bill Belichick’s college football playing career
Belichick joins the Pat McAfee Show
Date: Dec. 9
Source: Himself, Pat McAfee Show
The former Patriots head coach has spent this season doing various appearances on ESPN and the Pat McAfee Show. On Monday’s episode, he confirmed that he had been in talks with UNC about its vacancy. Belichick said that if he were to take a college job, and he emphasized if, he would make it into a professional program that has a pipeline to the NFL.
Bill Belichick emphasized “IF” he was coaching in a college program, it would be “a professional program.” 👀 @PatMcAfeeShow
“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
— ESPN (@espn) December 9, 2024
MORE: Meet Bill Belichick’s coach-filled family tree
Belichick’s son coach in waiting?
Date: Dec. 6
Source: Ollie Connolly
This report hasn’t been confirmed, but it is worth including. Connolly says his sources say that one of Belichick’s stipulations is that his son would be the head coach in waiting, meaning that once Bill decides to leave the program, Stephen would take over.
Other stipulations in the unconfirmed report say that Belichick’s staff would include Matt Patricia, Ben McDaniels. and another school’s current GM.
Belichick interviews for UNC opening
Date: December 5
Source: InsideCarolina, Brett McMurphy
News broke that Belichick had interviewed for the head football coaching job at UNC. It’s a sentence that feels like a Mad Lib for many reasons. One, Belichick has never coached in college. Two, he’s the greatest NFL head coach of all time, and UNC is new to actually caring about its football team. Finally, Brown was thought to be too old at 73, and Belichick is just eight months younger.
