Report: Bill Belichick, UNC push to resolve issues as potential deal nears
UNC officials are reportedly on board with the hire and the "ball is in Belichick's court."
Bill Belichick, who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories, is nearing a deal with University of North Carolina to become its next head football coach, according to ESPN.
UNC officials are on board with hiring Belichick and “the ball is in Belichick’s court,” ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon.
The university is attempting to close the deal and a resolution is expected soon, but some points still needs to be ironed out. Belichick’s salary, a potential role for his son, Steve Belichick, and the school’s level of commitment resources for NIL deals and hiring staff are among the issues that have lingered.
Inside Carolina reported Wednesday that UNC and Belichick were “finalizing” a deal. Local station WTVD reported that UNC’s board of trustees called for an emergency meting Wednesday to discuss Belichick’s deal. The board of trustees must approve the deal before it can officially be announced.
The Guardian had reported on Tuesday that Belichick agreed to a deal with UNC. It also reported that Bill Belichick pushed for a guarantee from the school that Steve Belichick would be named “coach in waiting.”
UNC, the alma mater of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, fired Mack Brown last month. Maye told WEEI that he hated the way Brown’s situation played out, but added he believed Belichick could help the program.
Last season was the first time since 1975 that Belichick did not coach in the NFL.
The 72-year-old Belichick is one of, if not the most, accomplished NFL head coach of all time. He is second on the NFL’s all-time wins list. The Patriots’ six Super Bowls won under Belichick are tied with Pittsburgh for the most by a single franchise. He is a three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year winner.
Belichick and the Patriots parted ways last January, a move team owner Robert Kraft recently described as a firing. The Patriots went 29-38 during Belichick’s final four seasons at the helm, going 4-13 in Belichick’s final season.
Since departing New England, Belichick has taken on multiple media roles, including appearances on ESPN and a podcast, “Coach with Bill Belichick.”
What sort of college coach would Belichick be?
Belichick does not have head coach experience at the college level. He jumped straight to the NFL at age 23 as an assistant with the Baltimore Colts.
During a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Belichick spoke about his vision for a college program under his leadership. It would be a college-to-NFL pipeline aimed at player development and preparation for the next level, he said.
“I feel very confident that I have the contacts in the National Football League to pave the way for those players that would have the ability to have the opportunity to compete in the National Football League,” Belichick said. “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.”
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