The University of North Carolina needs a new head coach of its football team after firing Mack Brown last month, and one surprise candidate for the job is generating a lot of conversation.
Former New England Patriots head coach and eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick reportedly has interviewed for UNC's head coach position. ESPN's Pete Thamel also reported Monday that talks between Belichick and the school are "ongoing."
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Belichick joined ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show on Monday and confirmed that he has talked with UNC chancellor Lee Roberts.
What might the Tar Heels' program look like if Belichick was running it? He gave an interesting answer.
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"Let me put this in capital letters -- IF -- if I was in a college program, the college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that have the ability to play in the NFL," Belichick told McAfee. "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's the end of their college career or the end of their pro career. It would be geared toward developing the player, time management, discipline, structure and all that. It would be life skills, regardless of whether they're in the NFL or somewhere in business.
"I feel very confident I have the contacts in the NFL to pave the way for those players that would have the ability to have the opportunity to compete in the NFL. Whether they're good enough or not, I don't know, but they would be ready for it -- I don't have any doubt about that. That would be the first comment I would make relative to the structure of the program. It would be an NFL program but not at the NFL level."
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
It's still unknown whether Belichick will take the North Carolina job, or if he'll be offered it, but based on his comments above, it's clear he's at least given the position a lot of thought.
Belichick's pitch to potential recruits or transfers is a compelling one. He knows the NFL better than anyone, and it's hard to imagine any other coach in college football preparing players for the pros better than him.
North Carolina is not a contender for the ACC title, or a spot in the College Football Playoff, and they probably won't be for some time. UNC went 6-6 this past season and hasn't won a postseason game since beating Temple in the 2019 Military Bowl.
But if Belichick is leading the program, it wouldn't be surprising if immediate progress is made. No one puts in more work than the 72-year-old coach.
