CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick is finalizing a deal to be the next head coach for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, CBS Sports and ESPN reported Wednesday.
Belichick's interview, first reported by Inside Carolina, came a week after the school fired its winningest coach in College Football Hall of Famer Mack Brown. The school announced Nov. 26 that Brown wouldn't return for a seventh season in his second stint at the school, with Brown staying on to coach last weekend's rivalry loss to N.C. State.
Moving on from the 73-year-old Brown to hire the 72-year-old Belichick would mean UNC is turning to a coach who has never worked at the college level, yet had incredible NFL success alongside quarterback Tom Brady throughout most of his 24-year tenure with the Patriots that ended last season.
In the time since, he had been linked to NFL jobs, notably the Atlanta Falcons in January.
Speaking on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday, Belichick said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at college football throughout the season as opposed to during the spring lead-up to the draft as a pro coach.
“So it’s been, it’s been a good year for me. I’ve learned a lot,” Belichick said. “So I've had the opportunity to talk to Chancellor Roberts and we’ve had a couple of good conversations.”
There's also at least a small family tie to the UNC program for Belichick; his late father, Steve, was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 1953-55.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
