CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Former New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns head coach Bill Belichick has been hired as the next head football coach at the University of North Carolina, the school announced Wednesday.
The eight-time NFL Super Bowl champion replaces interim head coach Freddie Kitchens, who was named UNC’s interim after the school fired Mack Brown on Nov. 26. Kitchens previously served as the Browns’ interim head coach during the 2018 season and was hired full-time for the 2019 season, but was fired in January 2020 and replaced by current head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Belichick’s hiring at UNC marks his first time coaching in the college ranks at any level. He previously coached 45 seasons in the NFL, including 29 seasons as a head coach for the Browns and Patriots.
Belichick also has family ties to UNC as his father, Steve, served as an assistant coach for the Tar Heels’ football program from 1953-55.
“I am excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill,” Belichick said in a statement. “I grew up around college football with my Dad and treasured those times. I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill.”
Belichick spent his first five seasons as head coach for the Browns from 1991 to 1995. He finished with a 36-44 record in Cleveland, including a 1-1 record in the playoffs. He was hired as the Patriots’ head coach in 2000 and led the franchise to six Super Bowl championships with quarterback Tom Brady. He was fired as the Patriots’ HC in January after 24 seasons with the franchise.
After parting ways with New England, Belichick was not hired by another NFL team during the 2024 coaching carousel. In September, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Belichick would like to return to coaching in 2025, but “only in the right situations with good jobs.”
Now, Belichick takes over as head coach at UNC during an ever-evolving era of collegiate athletics, football specifically. The introduction of name, image and likeness (NIL) contracts for collegiate athletes, as well as conference re-alignment, have created a “wild, wild west” of sorts in NCAA football.
“We know that college athletics is changing, and those changes require new and innovative thinking,” UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a news release. “Bill Belichick is a football legend, and hiring him to lead our program represents a new approach that will ensure Carolina football can evolve, compete and win -- today and in the future. At Carolina, we believe in providing championship opportunities and the best experience possible for our student-athletes, and Coach Belichick shares that commitment. We are excited to welcome him to Chapel Hill.”
As for the immediate future, UNC will be coached by Kitchens in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28 against the Connecticut Huskies. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Eastern on ESPN.