Bill Belichick is returning to academia. The 72-year-old coaching icon is making a surprising shift to the college level, finalizing an agreement to become the head coach at UNC nearly a year after his departure from the Patriots, where he spent 24 years and won six Super Bowl titles, according to various reports.
The UNC Board of Trustees convened on Wednesday to approve Belichick's contract, as reported by ABC 11 in North Carolina. Belichick, who played college football at Wesleyan, has spent his entire 49-year coaching career in the NFL, although his father, Steve, served as an assistant coach at UNH from 1953 to 1955.
Following his split with New England, Belichick interviewed for the Falcons' coaching position during the previous hiring cycle, but Atlanta ultimately chose Raheem Morris. With no coaching job secured, Belichick lined up several media appearances for the 2024 season, including spots on 'The Pat McAfee Show,' the ManningCast, and 'Inside the NFL.'
A possible lack of interest in the upcoming coaching cycle may have prompted Belichick's move to Chapel Hill, where he will replace the recently dismissed 73-year-old Mack Brown. Known primarily for its basketball program, the Tar Heels' football team has only achieved one double-digit win season in the past 27 years and hasn't claimed a conference title since 1980.
Belichick was recently seen on the red carpet at The Museum Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson. He reportedly met with UNC officials in Manhattan on the same day.
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