After one failed season as the North Carolina Tar Heels’ head coach, leading them to a 4-8 record, there was some talk that Bill Belichick could emerge as a top candidate to be an NFL head coach again in 2026. Yet, this latest move makes it seem like Belichick is committed to coaching at North Carolina for at least another year.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Belichick is finalizing a contract to hire Bobby Petrino as his new offensive coordinator at North Carolina. Petrino will be replacing Freddie Kitchens, who was once an NFL head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel is pumping the brakes on the Petrino hiring. He says, “There’s still multiple steps remaining before any potential hire is announced.”
Interestingly enough, Petrino also has NFL ties. He, too, was an NFL head coach of the Atlanta Falcons before resigning in December of his debut season. He then headed back to the college ranks, where he’s served as a head coach for Arkansas and Louisville.
Another coach that Belichick had his eye on for his offensive play-caller position was former NFL head coach Chip Kelly. Are you sensing a theme here yet? Belichick seems to place a great amount of value on coaches with NFL experience.
We’ll see whether Petrino can have a greater impact than Kitchens did. Belichick could really use a swift turnaround at North Carolina, which would naturally help bring in better recruits and even better coaches. Otherwise, perhaps a move back to the NFL is best, but that may not even be an option for the future first ballot Hall of Famer.
After all, if teams aren’t willing to hire him as their head coach, Belichick may not have any other option than to stay right where he is and try turning the Tar Heels’ program around.
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