Report: Bill Belichick Interviews for UNC Coaching Job

The New England Patriots held a press conference to announce they were “parting way” with Bill Belichick on Jan. 11, 2024. It ended Belichick’s 24-year employment with the franchise. It also began the speculation of where Bill Belichick would coach next. While the popular assumption has been that Belichick would be seeking an NFL head coaching job, it appears joining the college ranks is not out of the question.

Reports on Thursday indicated that the winningest NFL head coach of the Super Bowl Era interviewed with the University of North Carolina. Grant Hughes of “Inside Carolina” was the first to report the news.

The Tar Heels job opened up on Nov. 26 when UNC fired Mack Brown.

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Belichick reportedly spoke to the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders about their head coaching vacancies last offseason, though he did not land either job. The 72-year-old has remained busy during football season with a plethora of media gigs.

NCAA or NFL?

It remains unclear how interested Bill Belichick would be in taking the job at North Carolina or any other college. He had been an NFL coach continuously for 49 years (1975-2023). Belichick’s longtime friend Nick Saban is considered by many to be the greatest college football coach of all time. He is somebody Belichick would want to consult before diving into the college ranks. Saban retired as the head coach at Alabama following the 2023 season, and is just one year older than Belichick.

Three NFL head coaches have already been fired this season. The New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears all have job openings. More openings will follow over the next six weeks. Would Bill Belichick make a more attractive coaching candidate in 2025 than he did in the last hiring cycle?

Bill Belichick sits 26 regular-season wins behind Don Shula on the NFL’s all-time coaching list. Including the postseason, Shula’s lead shortens to 14. It has been assumed that breaking Shula’s record is one of Belichick’s remaining goals as a coach.

One thing today’s news showed is that Belichick is still interested in coaching. Despite the comforts of his media roles and his positive reviews, coaching football is still in Belichick’s blood. The news of an interview with North Carolina also lets others with potential interest know that they better move quickly or risk losing the opportunity to hire Belichick as their next head coach.

Whether it is in college football or back in the National Football League, it appears Bill Belichick is not ready to retire as a coach quite yet.