Bill Belichick talks UNC football coaching job on ‘Pat McAfee Show’

As the rumor mill continues about former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick taking the North Carolina football coaching job, Belichick joined ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on ESPN on Monday and was asked about the position.

Belichick, 73, won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and has spent his coaching career in the NFL. When McAfee asked him about the job, he said he had had a ‘couple of good conversations’ with UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts and that ‘we’ll see how that goes.’

While Belichick does not have college coaching experience, he does come from a pedigree with some, as his father, Steve Belichick, had coaching stints with Hiram, Vanderbilt, UNC and Navy. His son, Stephen Belichick, is currently the defensive coordinator for Washington.

‘I did grow up around [college football],’ Belichick said. ‘My dad was a college coach who was at North Carolina for three years, Vanderbilt for a year and then Navy for 50. It seems college football is more like pro football. I’ve talked to a lot of college coaches about things like salary cap and putting value on players and negotiating. … I think there are similarities. I haven’t experienced it first hand.’

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Due to that background and how the college football game has shifted now with NIL and the transfer portal, Belichick said he sees a fit for NFL coaches at the collegiate level. He even made a ‘pitch’ for potential UNC recruits subtly.

‘Let me put this in capital letters, if, ‘I.F.’ I was in a college program, that college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for players that had ability to play in the NFL,’ Belichick said. ‘It would be a professional program: training, nutrition, scheme, coaching, techniques, that would transfer to the NFL. It will be an NFL program at a college level.’

‘I feel very confident that I have the contacts in the NFL to pave the way for those players that would have the opportunity to compete in the National Football League,’ Belichick added.

UNC football has an opening after longtime coach Mack Brown was fired on Nov. 26. Belichick has been out of the coaching spotlight this season after he and New England parted ways after 24 seasons. While Belichick interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons job over the offseason, the job went to Raheem Morris.