The news that Bill Belichick would become the new head coach at North Carolina shocked millions across the nation, but there is actually a reason why he decided to take his talents to Chapel Hill.
North Carolina announced Wednesday it hired the NFL and New England Patriots legend as its new head coach on a five-year contract.
The Athletic’s Brendan Marks reported that Belichick will earn $10 million per season.
This news came after the 72-year-old parted ways with the Patriots at the end of the 2023 season and didn’t coach in 2024 after he only interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons job. He was a finalist, but the team eventually hired Raheem Morris instead.
That worked out just fine for Bill Belichick.
Belichick previously hinted that he wanted to get back to coaching in 2025, but it was assumed that it was only for the NFL
It turns out that he had a connection to North Carolina that not many knew about.
A recent picture of Belichick’s childhood went viral, answering why the longtime head coach wanted to attend Chapel Hill.
Bill Belichick’s father was a Tar Heel for three seasons before he became a longtime assistant coach at Navy.
He would have Bill in 1952 while still at Vanderbilt. Belichick spent the first few years of his life in Chapel Hill.
The resurfaced picture showed him as a child at UNC’s Kenan Memorial Stadium, which has been the Tar Heels’ football home since 1927.
In his initial interview with the program, Bill Belichick reportedly said his first words as a child were ‘Duke Sucks.’
According to sources, a lot of Bill Belichick’s motivation in coming to Carolina revolves around honoring his father’s legacy (UNC assistant ‘53-‘55) and views Carolina in high regard because of him.
In his initial interview, he said his first words growing up were “Duke Sucks.” pic.twitter.com/WgGhYeaQp8
— Taylor Vippolis (@tvippolis) December 11, 2024
Bill Belichick Has Zero Pressure At North Carolina
Belichick going to Chapel Hill on an announced five-year deal is surprising but not shocking, given his recently released background.
It’s apparent why North Carolina would take the risk of hiring someone who’s never coached in college before. Not many programs are saying no to a proven NFL coach.
Belichick will now take over a team that posted a 6-6 record this season. The program also ranked 36th in the nation with 32.3 points per game in 2024 but allowed 28.2 points.
There is zero pressure for Belichick to be great at this program.
