Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels chancellor Lee Roberts presents a cut off sweatshirt to new head coach Bill Belichick at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Bill Belichick provided a winning quote on Thursday during his introductory press conference as the new head coach at North Carolina.
When asked if the NFL remains an option should he enjoy immediate success in Chapel Hill, Belichick had a quick response.
“I didn’t come here to leave,” Belichick said with a smile.
His quick wit prompted a round of applause from those in attendance.
The Tar Heels are banking on more wins — those that come on the field — during this tenure with the team.
The six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach signed a five-year contract with North Carolina, a program that has not won a conference title since 1980.
Belichick’s father, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach at North Carolina from 1953-55.
Belichick will replace Mack Brown, whom North Carolina fired at the end of the regular season. The Tar Heels (6-6) will play in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28 in Boston.
Belichick, 72, parted ways with the New England Patriots following the 2023 season after 24 years with the franchise. He was out of coaching this year despite interviewing for multiple NFL vacancies last offseason, and has been working multiple roles in the media.
Belichick has 333 wins as an NFL coach (including playoffs) and needs 15 more to break the all-time record held by Don Shula. However, according to reports earlier this week, he was surprised not to hear from the NFL teams with existing vacancies.
It will be his first coaching position at the collegiate level. His son, Steve, is the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington and a prominent role for him at UNC was reportedly a part of his father’s pitch to the Tar Heels. Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch was a former assistant for Bill Belichick, who spent significant time around the Washington program over the past year.
–Field Level Media
