Bill Belichick is the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels’ football team, but he apparently was not their first choice for the job.
ESPN published a story on Friday detailing how Belichick became UNC’s football coach. In the story, they say that North Carolina initially wanted to hire current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for the job. Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham had even spoken with Smith prior to the firing of Mack Brown. Though Smith did not want to be seen as undercutting Brown, he appparently expressed some interest in the position.
After Brown was fired, Smith decided to stay in the NFL and remain with the Steelers. That’s when North Carolina turned to Belichick, who had expressed interest in the job via current Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio told a North Carolina state senator of Belichick’s interest in the job, and that’s how some with UNC’s board of trustees ended up pursuing the famous NFL head coach.
Bill Belichick addressing the media
Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick speaks to those attending his hiring announcement at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
North Carolina apparently had some reservations about hiring Belichick, feeling going from a 73-year-old coach to a 72-year-old coach wouldn’t be much different. But they ultimately concluded that Belichick could bring publicity, attention, and perhaps some donations and money to the football program.
This report is not entirely surprising. Before Belichick’s name was mentioned in connection with the vacancy, there was talk that UNC was eyeing Smith for the job.
Smith played offensive line at North Carolina from 2001 to 2005 and got his start in coaching there as a graduate assistant. He worked for the Tennessee Titans from 2011-2020 and worked his way up to offensive coordinator. He then became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons from 2021-2023, and his teams went 7-10 in each season. He is entering his second season as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator.