North Carolina's Bill Belichick Backup Plan Revealed by NFL Insider

Tommy Rees was reportedly the Tar Heels' backup plan if talks with Bill Belichick fell through.

Rees was reportedly North Carolina's backup plan if talks with Bill Belichick fell through. / Gary Cosby-Imagn Images

If talks with Bill Belichick, who agreed to become the University of North Carolina's head football coach on Wednesday, had fallen through, the Tar Heels reportedly had a former college quarterback in mind as a backup plan.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Browns pass game specialist and tight ends coach Tommy Rees would have been the favorite to land the UNC head coaching job should Belichick not have signed. The 32-year-old interviewed for the position twice.

Had talks between Bill Belichick and North Carolina broken down, Browns passing game specialist and tight ends coach Tommy Rees was considered the favorite to land the Tarheels head coaching job, per league sources. Rees interviewed for the NC HC job twice, and had Nick Saban as…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 11, 2024

Rees played quarterback at Notre Dame from 2010-13 before starting his coaching career in '15. He notably served as Notre Dame's QBs coach from 2017-22 and their offensive coordinator from '19-22.

In 2023, he was hired by Nick Saban to be Alabama's offensive coordinator. When Saban retired, he left for Cleveland. According to Schefter, Saban advocated for him to the the next UNC head coach—a fascinating wrinkle considering he and Belichick's relationship.

Other backup options to Belichick in Chapel Hill reportedly included Georgia defensive coordinator Glen Schumann and Army head coach Jeff Monken.

This all, of course, is now water under the bridge at this point as Belichick, 72, has finalized a five-year contract to become the Tar Heels' next head coach.

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