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UNC Football Hiring Bill Belichick After Firing Another Septuagenarian

The six-time Super Bowl champion is now ready to become the 35th UNC football head coach in history.

Matt Giles

UNC football head coaching hire Bill Belichick
UNC football head coaching hire Bill Belichick / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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Reports of the UNC football program and Bill Belichick nearing an agreement had been circulating all week. And on Wednesday afternoon, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the former New England Patriots legend and six-time Super Bowl champion head coach is officially set to take the reins in Chapel Hill.

"Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the greatest coach of all time," Rapoport wrote, "will become the next coach at the University of North Carolina, sources say. The deal is done.

"From Super Bowls to college football. Just like Bill Walsh. Just like Deion Sanders. Now, Belichick."

Just over two weeks ago, UNC football parted ways with the 73-year-old Mack Brown, who was the active FBS wins leader. Enter the 72-year-old Bill Belichick, who was at the Patriots' helm until January of last season.

"If I was in a college program, then the college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL," Belichick, whose father was on the UNC football staff in the 1950s, said on ESPN's First Take while addressing the escalating talks with the brass in Chapel Hill earlier this week. "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 was the end of their college career or at the end of their pro career."

Freddie Kitchens became interim head coach upon Brown's departure.

UNC (6-6) faces UConn (8-4) at the Fenway Bowl in Boston on Dec. 28.

ALSO READ: UNC Signee Demon June Still Chasing Big Career Mark

Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC football news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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