Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick spent a year away from the sidelines before he landed a new job with the University of North Carolina, but he wasn't the first line for that job.
Instead, UNC's athletic director wanted to hire former Tar Heels football player Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN reported the details in an article by Andrea Adelson, Chris Low, and David Hale on Friday.
"They were all hopeful they could lure Smith back to Chapel Hill, and then whether it was Belichick or anybody else, it would have been a moot point. Smith is who they wanted," a source said via the ESPN authors.
Ultimately, Smith stayed in the NFL, and Belichick landed with UNC in December 2024. After the 2023 season, Belichick parted ways with the Patriots. He was a finalist for the Atlanta Falcons head coaching job, but the Falcons opted for Raheem Morris instead.
An eight-time Super Bowl champion coach, Belichick spent the 2024 season working in media with ESPN before returning to coaching.
Belichick coached the Patriots from 2000 to 2023, winning six Super Bowls and leading the team to nine overall. He also won two Super Bowls as an assistant with the New York Giants between 1979 and 1990.
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This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 9:00 AM.