CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — UPDATE (Dec. 11, 1 p.m.): With a lot of conflicting reports going around about a deal possibly being finalized, The Athletic's Brendan Marks posted on X that things are still up in the air.
"To clear up a lot of confusion: Can confirm that UNC has NOT called an emergency session yet for the Board of Trustees," the post read. "My understanding? Bill Belichick situation *could* still resolve itself today... but also definitely possible that this falls apart. Hurdles remain."
Shortly after that post, Inside Carolina reported that UNC is "finalizing an contract" to make Belichick its next head coach. The outlet also said an emergency Board of Trustees meeting is being set up to approve the contract.
Original story:
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is "considering an offer" to become the next head coach of the North Carolina football team, according to The Athletic.
That said, The Athletic also reported that no deal has been agreed to yet, and both sides are still negotiating the specific terms of the contract.
WFMY News 2 reached out to the UNC sports information department for details on the hiring process. It would not share a comment at this time.
On Monday, Belichick appeared on the "Pat McAfee Show" on ESPN, where he said that he had spoken to UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts about the job. The job opened up after the university fired Mack Brown before the end of the 2024 regular season.
A report published by The Athletic's Brendan Marks and Ralph D. Russo on Monday explained why UNC's search for a new coach has dragged out for so long. At least part of the reason is tensions between Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham and Board of Trustees chair John Preyer.
The Athletic said it heard from a source that Preyer and at least one other board member might have floated Belichick a "preliminary offer" to become UNC's next coach. A source also told them that "the process likely would have been completed by now" if not for the Board's involvement.
Belichick, who turns 73 in April, has never coached at the college level, but he is considered by many as one of the greatest professional coaches of all time.
He got his start in the NFL as an assistant with the Baltimore Colts in 1975 and gained notoriety in the 1980s for his work as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, who won two Super Bowls with him as an assistant.
After serving as head coach of the Cleveland Browns and an assistant on a few other teams in the 1990s, Belichick took the head coaching job of the New England Patriots in 2000. In his 23 seasons with the team, the Patriots won six Super Bowls.
Belichick is currently third in NFL history with 302 regular season wins, behind only Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318).
While he hasn't been a college head coach, Belichick did spend a lot of time around the University of Washington's team this season as his son, Steve, served as the Huskies' defensive coordinator.
North Carolina hasn't had sustained success in football since Brown's first stint with the team in the 1990s. The Tar Heels haven't won an ACC Championship since 1980, and they've only made it to one "New Year's Six" bowl game in the past 70 years (a 41-27 loss to Texas A&M in the 2021 Orange Bowl).
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