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NFL insider explains why Bill Belichick chose North Carolina over NFL return

Brian Jones Profile Picby:Brian Jones•12/11/24•

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Bill Belichick is finalizing a deal to be the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach, and one NFL insider explained why he isn’t returning to the NFL. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as the head coach for the New England Patriots wasn’t getting much interest from NFL teams.

“The sense from NFL owners meetings is that Bill Belichick simply hadn’t garnered much NFL interest if at all this cycle,” Fowler wrote on X. “Perhaps that would have changed, but Belichick goes with the sure thing – and a fascinating new start.”

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Fowler is right about it being “fascinating” because Belichick never coached in college. Belichick began his coaching career in 1975 as a special assistant for the Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts. He then was an assistant coach for multiple teams until 1991 when he became the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Belichick was in Cleveland for five seasons working as an assistant coach again from 1996 to 1999. In 2000, the Patriots hired Belichick as their head coach, and he would have that position for 24 seasons.

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Can Bill Belichick lead North Carolina to ACC and national championships?

Following the 2023 season, Belichick came close to becoming the Atlanta Falcons head coach, but the position went to Raheem Morris. For the 2024 season, Belichick has made regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show and the ManningCast.

In February, Falcons owner Arthur Blank talked about why the team didn’t hire Belichick. “Bill was really focused and is focused on being a great head coach, which is clearly what he has been,” Blank said on Super Bowl Live, per NFL.com. “We looked at all the candidates that we interviewed, all the time together, and we felt for a variety of reasons that the best choice for us at this point in our lives, the life of the franchise going forward, is Raheem Morris.”

North Carolina and Belichick agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal. He will take over for Mack Brown who was in his second stint with the team (first stint was from 1988 to 1997). The Tar Heels hope that Belichick can lead them to their first ACC title since 1980 and their first national championship in program history.