By Canadian Press

Former NFL coach Bill Belichick has agreed become the Tar Heels’ next coach, AP source says

Dec 11, 2024 | 7:12 PM

Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick has agreed to become North Carolina’s next football coach, a person with knowledge of the decision said Wednesday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been finalized. UNC’s trustees must approve any agreement, though that board hasn’t announced a new meeting as of Wednesday night.

The Tar Heels had been seeking a replacement for Mack Brown. The school announced Nov. 26 that the program’s all-time winningest coach and College Football Hall of Famer wouldn’t return for a seventh season in his second stint in Chapel Hill, a firing that became effective after Brown coached his finale in the Nov. 30 loss to rival N.C. State.

Moving on from the 73-year-old Brown to hire the 72-year-old Belichick means UNC is turning to a coach who has never worked at the college level, yet had incredible success in the NFL alongside quarterback Tom Brady throughout most of his 24-year tenure with the Patriots, which ended last season.

Belichick had been linked to NFL jobs in the time since, notably the Atlanta Falcons in January. That’s why word of Belichick’s conversations with UNC — first reported by Inside Carolina and confirmed by the AP last week — stirred such surprise as an unexpected and unconventional route for both sides to take.

DRIVE SAFE

Ice, snow and reduced visibility impact N.B. and M.L. surrounding highways

9h ago

Fire response

Response times where NBFD Chief expects them to be

12h ago

education

Auditor finds non-compliance with international trip, credit card and expense claims at Northlands College

16h ago

But the two sides had been in discussions for several days working on terms before finally reaching an agreement to cap what seemed an improbable outcome only a week earlier.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Rob Maaddi And Aaron Beard, The Associated Press