Belichick considering coaching job at UNC? What to think of a surprising report

Belichick considering coaching job at UNC? What to think of a surprising report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Bill Belichick spent his entire 48-year coaching career in the NFL. Could it make a hard pivot in 2025?

The former New England Patriots head coach interviewed for the University of North Carolina head coaching opening, Grant Hughes of 247Sports reported Thursday.

According to Hughes, Belichick is “part of a pool of candidates” for the position, which became available after UNC fired Mack Brown on Nov. 26. Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall and Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann are also on that list, according to Hughes.

Hughes’ report comes a day after 98.5, says Sports Hub’s Tony Massarotti He Heard Belichick Was ‘Sniffing’ About UNC Job.

Even Belichick interviewing for a college coaching job would be a surprising development. Belichick has been busy with multiple media obligations since the Patriots fired him in January after a 4-13 campaign, but the widely held assumption was that he would return to coaching at the NFL level in 2025.

Top teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and New York Giants could be looking for a head coach next season, and Belichick has also been linked to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So why would the greatest coach in NFL history pass up the opportunity to break Don Shula’s all-time winning record to join the college ranks — especially for a middling UNC program that doesn’t play not in a super-conference like the Big. Ten or the SEC?

First of all, it’s possible that Belichick is just kicking the tires here. Maybe he wants to shake off the rust with a relatively low-stakes interview before turning his attention to the NFL. Or maybe he’s really curious about coaching in a college program and all that entails.

With that in mind, if Belichick really wants to have “total control” of a program — which apparently was a sticking point in his failed quest for the work of the Atlanta Falcons last winter, he may have better luck at the college level, where head coaches from big-name schools are often the biggest attraction and involved in every level of operations, from offseason recruiting to game management .

At the very least, Belichick’s apparent interest in a college job is worth keeping an eye on. And if he lands in Chapel Hill, maybe his opinion on Drake Maye would change.

UPDATE (4:30 p.m. ET): Andrew Carter of the Charlotte News & Observer confirmed Belichick’s interview with UNC, but suggested it was “extremely unlikely” that Belichick would land the job due to his “age and lack of college experience.” .