NFL Coach Thinks Bill Belichick Could Leave UNC Before 2025
Bill Belichick made headlines this week by accepting the head coaching job at the University of North Carolina.
The longtime NFL coach and eight-time Super Bowl champion will take his talents to the college game for the first time his career, entering new territory with new players on a new team for a different level of football.
Belichick may have just accepted the position this week, but one current NFL coach says he won't believe that he's the Tar Heels coach until he sees it on the sideline.
"I will have to see him on the sideline to believe that’s happening. We’ll see how the NFL jobs search goes and all that," said Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
"I will have to see him on the sideline coaching in Chapel Hill to believe that’s happening....I don't see my man going into any home visits or doing cocktail hours," Kingsbury said, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.
Belichick may not be a traditional college coach, but he seems to have a detailed plan about how to handle the college game. He reportedly presented the higher-ups at UNC with a 400-page handbook on practices and standards for the program, a plan that includes two separate staffs to deal with on-field development and recruiting.
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 14: Kliff Kingsbury of USC looks at the Jumbotron during pregame warmups before a game between University of Southern California and University of Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on October 14, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
There's no doubt that Belichick is one of the sharpest minds of all time when it comes to on-field strategy, but his record as a general manager and talent evaluator has been questionable.
He'll look to address that issue with his new general manager at North Carolina, former NFL executive Michael Lombardi.
Lombardi and Belichick have worked together twice before, during the head coach's previous stints in Cleveland with the Browns and in New England with the Patriots.
The Tar Heels are hoping that Belichick can improve the standing of the current team, and that he can set them up for success during his tenure as head coach.
We'll see if Belichick proves Kingsbury wrong by showing up for the first game of the 2025 season against TCU on August 30.
